Also from the BRC report, total sales +10.0% vs May 2019 (comparisons with two years ago make more sense given the huge base effects from comparison with 2020).

Compared with May 2020, when most non-food retailers were shut due to lockdown restrictions, total sales were 28.4% higher

Other data, from payment processor Barclaycard (the firm sees almost half of credit and debit card transactions)

  • consumer spending was 7.6% higher than in May two years ago