Retail Sales
This coverage analyses UK retail sales performance, highlighting monthly figures, sector breakdowns, seasonal trends, and consumer spending patterns. Reporting examines how economic conditions, promotions, and market dynamics influence sales outcomes across categories, providing retail managers and executives with actionable insights into trading conditions and customer demand.
-
Dec- 2025 -5 DecemberEconomy
Black Friday delivers limited lift to retail sales in November
Black Friday provided only a modest boost to discretionary retail sales in November, with total like-for-like sales rising 3.4% against a weak comparison period in 2024, according to BDO’s latest High Street Sales Tracker. The increase followed a 5.8% fall a year earlier. The month, which included the peak promotional…
Read More » -
4 DecemberSupermarkets
Qatar ends two decade spell as largest Sainsbury’s shareholder
The Qatari sovereign wealth fund has cut its investment in Sainsbury’s ending its almost 20 year spell as the biggest shareholder in the supermarket, according to reports from Reuters. The Qatari Investment Authority (QIA) is set to reduce its stake by just over 3% to 6.8%. In October last year,…
Read More » -
3 DecemberFeatures
Inside Quiz’s measured return to store expansion
Quiz Clothing is entering a new phase. After two difficult years marked by falling demand due to fading relevance with its core shopper, and a short spell in administration, the Glasgow-based fashion retailer is preparing to expand again. The business, which operates 40 UK stores and works with franchise and…
Read More » -
Nov- 2025 -25 NovemberElectrical
AO World revenues and profits climb amid stronger membership uptake
AO World has reported revenues of £586m, up 14% year-on-year, with business-to-consumer retail sales rising 12% to £423m for six months ended 30 September. The group stated that growth was supported by rising market share and continued take-up of its Five Star membership programme. Profit before tax also increased to…
Read More » -
21 NovemberEconomy
Retail sales slip as shoppers await Budget and Black Friday
Retail sales volumes fell by 1.1% in October 2025, the first monthly drop since May, as retailers reported that many shoppers held off spending in the run-up to Black Friday. The fall followed a revised 0.7% rise in September and a 0.5% increase in August. Supermarkets, clothing stores and mail…
Read More » -
11 NovemberHigh Street
Retail sales slow in October as shoppers hold off for Black Friday
UK retail sales rose by 1.6% year on year in October, down from growth of 0.6% a year earlier and below the 12-month average of 2.1%, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG. Food sales increased by 3.5% in October, matching the 12-month average and up from 2.6%…
Read More » -
6 NovemberSupermarkets
Sainsbury’s ups guidance amid strong first half
Sainsbury’s has raised its full-year guidance and now expects a retail underlying operating profit of more than £1bn for its full-year results following strong sales in its first half. It comes as Sainsbury’s reported a 5.2% rise in retail sales excluding fuel for the half-year ended 13 September 2025, driven…
Read More » -
5 NovemberClothing & Shoes
Hugo Boss reports 1% sales drop amid currency headwinds
Hugo Boss has reported a 1% decline in group sales on a currency-adjusted and 4% on a reported basis to €989m (£871.3m) for the third quarter, citing challenging market conditions and continued currency pressures. Currency-adjusted sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) declined 2% to €641m (£564.7m), as…
Read More » -
Oct- 2025 -24 OctoberEconomy
Retail sales improve as good weather drives clothing sales
UK retail sales rose 0.5% in September as a result of a 1.5% increase in non-store retailing and a 1.2% increase in household goods, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. The rise in total sales in September was the fourth consecutive month of increase as volumes reached…
Read More » -
24 OctoberEconomy
Consumer confidence edges up as shoppers prepare for Black Friday
Consumer confidence in the UK rose two points to -17 in October, according to the latest GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer, with four measures up and one down compared with September as buying sentiment was lifted by early retail sales events. The monthly survey found that consumers were more positive about…
Read More »
