Latest reading: Retail sales were up 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis in December, following a 0.1% drop in...
Retail Sales in United Kingdom
The British economy recorded an average growth rate of 1.5% in retail sales over the decade to 2024, below Major Economies's average of 4.1%. In 2024, the United Kingdom's retail sales growth was 0.4%.
United Kingdom Retail Chart
Note: This chart displays Retail Sales (ann. var. %) for United Kingdom from 2014 to 2025.
Source: Macrobond.
United Kingdom Retail Data
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Sales (ann. s.a. var. %) | -1.4 | 5.0 | -3.9 | -3.1 | 0.2 |
Retail sales return to growth in December
Latest reading: Retail sales were up 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis in December, following a 0.1% drop in the prior month and beating market expectations. Growth was led by non-store retailers, as online jewellers saw stronger demand for precious metals amid higher holiday spending. Supermarkets and automotive fuel sales posted modest increases, while non-food retailers—including department, clothing, household, and other stores—registered declines. Online retailing also performed strongly, rising 1.8% month on month. In annual terms, retail sales were up 2.4% in December, following a 1.8% rise in the previous month.
Consensus Forecasts and Projections for the next ten years
How should you choose a forecaster if some are too optimistic while others are too pessimistic? FocusEconomics collects British retail projections for the next ten years from a panel of 3 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. By averaging all forecasts, upside and downside forecasting errors tend to cancel each other out, leading to the most reliable retail forecast available for British retail.
Download one of our sample reports to visualize what a Consensus Forecast is and see our British retail projections.
Want to get access to the full dataset of British retail forecasts? Send an email to info@focus-economics.com.
Latest Global Retail News
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United Kingdom: Retail sales return to growth in December -
United States: Retail sales rebound in November Latest reading: Nominal retail sales were up 0.6% in seasonally adjusted month-on-month terms in November, following a 0.1% decline in... -
Indonesia: Retail sales decelerate in December Latest reading: Retail sales rose 4.4% in annual terms in December, following a 6.3% increase in the prior month. Relative... -
Luxembourg: Retail sales gain steam in December Latest reading: Retail sales increased 7.0% in calendar- and seasonally adjusted month-on-month terms in December, following a 1.5% rise in... -
Switzerland: Retail sales lose momentum in November Latest reading: Retail sales rose 0.1% on a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis in November, following a 0.2% rise in the... -
Poland: Retail sales lose momentum in November Latest reading: Retail sales rose 3.3% on a year-on-year basis in November, following 5.5% growth in the previous month. Relative... -
Hong Kong: Retail sales slow in November Latest reading: Retail sales increased 4.4% in annual terms in November, following 5.4% growth in the previous month. This was...