Sentiment is looking up for small business insurance customers on the high street.

The Confederation of British Industry's (CBI's) latest quarterly Distributive Trades Survey has shown retail sales volumes for these companies rose markedly in May when compared with those recorded for the same month in 2011.

According to the findings, there has also been a significant improvement in sentiment with regard to the business situation for the next three months.

It was demonstrated that 43 per cent of retailers enjoyed an escalation in sales volumes across the first two weeks of May when judged against the same spell one year earlier.

With just 23 per cent of businesses recording a decrease in this level, the rounded balance was calculated at +21 per cent, slightly higher than the predicted +19 per cent.

Judith McKenna, chair of the CBI Distribution Trades Panel, said: "It's encouraging to see high-street sales up compared to a year ago and that business sentiment about the next three months has improved."