20 June 2013 Last updated at 04:49 ET
UK retail sales rose 2.1% in May from the month before, official figures show, beating expectations.
Sales were also up 1.9% compared with the same month last year, said the Office for National Statistics.
The monthly change was a big upswing compared with April, when High Street sales fell 1.1%.
The ONS also said the total amount spent in the retail sector - sales values - rose by 3.1% year-on-year, the highest increase on record.
The figures add to hopes that the economy is continuing to recover.
Source: BBC News - Business http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22982319#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
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