Retail gross sales in the UK skilled a modest enhance in February 2025, largely attributed to the efficiency of the meals sector, in line with knowledge from the British retail consortium (BRC) and KPMG.
Between February 2 and March 1, complete retail gross sales in the UK skilled an interannual enhance of 1.1%.
This displays the expansion fee noticed in the identical month of the earlier 12 months and exceeds the annual common progress fee of zero.eight%, though it doesn’t attain the typical progress fee of three months of two.four%.
The meals sector was the driving power, registering a rise of two.three% 12 months -on -year in gross sales, aligning with the typical of three months however not reaching the expansion of the earlier 12 months in February of 5.6% and the annual common enhance of two.eight%.
Gross sales in non -food classes didn’t present adjustments in comparison with 2024, which contrasts with the two.7% lower in 2024 in 2023.
This yield didn’t meet the typical progress of three months of two.5%, however exceeded the typical annual lower of zero.9%.
Gross sales in brick and mortar shops inside the non -food sector decreased by 1% yearly through the month, exhibiting some restoration of the figures of the earlier 12 months, however following averages of three months and 12 months.
On-line gross sales within the non -food class supplied a optimistic facet, registering a 1.9% enhance in the identical month of the earlier 12 months and bouncing a four.1% lower noticed in 2024.
Though this enchancment was beneath the typical enhance of three months of 5.three%, it was greater than the annual common progress fee of zero.6%.
The proportion of non -food purchases made on-line elevated barely to 36.four%, in comparison with 35.8percentin February of the earlier 12 months, however remained beneath the annual common penetration fee of 36.7%.
The chief director of the British Retail Consortium, Helen Dickinson, declared: “Retail gross sales noticed a extra modest progress in February. Whereas the expansion of gross sales in non -food classes was typically silenced, it was supported by on-line purchases, significantly in laptop and electronics.
“This weak efficiency strengthens many retailers, particularly as they put together for £ 7 billion new prices of [Autumn 2024] Funds and assortment of packaging in 2025, in addition to the potential impression of the labor rights invoice.
“The trade is already doing all the pieces attainable to soak up current prices, however it can stick with few extra choices than enhance costs or cut back funding in jobs and shops, or each. The method to the Employment Rights Invoice have to be in unscrupulous employers, however as a substitute, the trade faces steady uncertainty and a trajectory that runs the danger of punishing accountable firms that present worthwhile employment, significantly on the entry degree. It’s time for the Authorities to right that funding and progress aren’t undermined. ”