Number of shoppers in North up 3%

The number of shoppers in Northern Ireland last month was 3% higher than a year ago, retailers have said.

Business owners read the sweltering weather and improving economic outlook well by encouraging people to buy seasonal food for the barbecue and summer fashion, the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium (NIRC), which represents large corporations such as Tesco and Homebase, said.

Shop vacancy rates remained almost the same at 18%, well above the UK and Irish average.