Consumer card spending in furniture stores rose during June 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 8.2%, while transaction growth was up 2.1% against the same month last year.

Home improvement and DIY stores saw spending growth decline 4%, with transaction growth down 10.1%. Department stores saw spending growth decrease 10.1%, with transaction growth down by 4.2%. Discount stores saw a decrease of 5.1% in spend growth, while transaction growth was down 3.1%, and Garden centres experienced a decrease of 3.6% in spend growth and a decline of 3.3% in transaction growth.

“Despite a slower month for retail, furniture stores enjoyed a particularly strong June, up 8.2 per cent – the category’s highest increase since March 2022,” Barclays said. “This is potentially due to new homeowners furnishing their new properties; record numbers of mortgage completions took place in March 2025, particularly among first-time buyers, where completions jumped 70 per cent compared to February, ahead of April’s stamp duty changes.”

Overall, consumer card spending fell -0.1 per cent year-on-year in June, less than the 1.0 per cent reported in May and below the latest CPIH inflation rate of 4.0 per cent. Confidence in household finances improved six percentage points to 73 per cent – a four-month high. Meanwhile, essential spend contracted -2.1 per cent, down from -1.1 per cent in May. The onset of summer festivals, weddings and sporting events contributed to a marginal 0.8 per cent increase in non-essential spending, led by the strong performance of entertainment and health & beauty.

Karen Johnson, Head of Retail at Barclays, said: “Despite the warm weather, which usually boosts non-essential sectors such as retail and hospitality, consumers spent cautiously in June, prioritising value as they navigate economic uncertainty. Encouragingly, entertainment, beauty and furniture stores bucked the trend, while confidence in household finances improved, showing consumers’ willingness to spend on the things that matter most to them.”