The retail value of furniture and lighting sales recovered in May.
Sales in England, Wales and Scotland recovered in May, but were still down on 2023.
Sales reached £1,168,983,000, a monthly rise of 3.7% but were 8.3% lower than May 2023.
Sales were lower than May 2022 (£1,222,515,000) and May 2021 (£1,370,025,000) but were almost three times of the lockdown hit May 2020 (£393,340,000), according to ONS data.
Of the 461 months since January 1986 when comparable records began, May 2024 was the 71st highest performing month.
