Consumer card spending in furniture stores rose during May when compared to last year, says new data from Barclays.

According to the latest Barclays Consumer Spending Index, which includes both debit and credit cards, furniture store spending growth increased 3.9%, while transaction growth was down 0.8% against the same month last year.

Home improvement and DIY stores saw spending growth decline 0.9%, with transaction growth down 4.7%. Department stores saw spending growth decrease 13.4%, with transaction growth down by 5.5%. Discount stores saw a decrease of 2.1% in spend growth, while transaction growth was down 1.1%, and Garden centres experienced an increase of 7.2% in spend growth and a rise of 5.6% in transaction growth.

Consumer card spending grew just 1.0 per cent year-on-year in May, down from April’s 4.5 per cent growth, and below the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.5 per cent. May’s two Bank Holidays encouraged discretionary spending, yet this was offset by wet weather in the second half of the month, and by consumers cutting back amid falling confidence in personal finances.

More than seven in 10 (72 per cent) consumers are concerned about the impact of global import tariffs, while four in 10 (42 per cent) believe the newly signed EU trade deal will benefit the UK economy – with many expecting improvements in product availability (45 per cent) and quality (41 per cent).

Karen Johnson, Head of Retail at Barclays, said: “Consumers are clearly becoming more value-conscious as financial pressures persist, but they’re still finding joy in the everyday – whether that’s a small treat, a cinema trip, a garden project, or a carefully planned getaway.

“The double Bank Holidays in May and record sunshine will have given non-essential spending a helpful boost, but this was largely outweighed by the rainy weather in the second half of the month, while longer-term uncertainty continues to shape how and where people choose to spend.”