Britons splash lockdown cash on dining, gardens - and pets

Britons splashed lockdown cash in the second quarter as coronavirus restrictions eased, splurging on going out, gardening, holidays and pampered pets, lender Nationwide said on Thursday. Nationwide revealed a 20% jump in transactions among its customers in the three months to the end of June, compared with the first quarter. Non-essential spending by customers meanwhile soared by 60% in the second quarter, the nation's biggest building society said in a report based on about 566 million transactions in the period. Holidays registered the biggest increase, with spending soaring 141%, particularly for caravanning and camping staycations in Britain. Gardening items jumped 77%, while spending on eating out more than doubled thanks to the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. There were 9.39 million transactions in bars and pubs in the period, not far from the 9.56 million in the first quarter of last year, before the pandemic erupted. Britons meanwhile spent £124.5 million (€146 million) in the second quarter on items for their beloved pets, up 7% from the first. "The UK continues to have a love affair with pets," Nationwide said, noting the money splurged on "our furry and feathered...