Retail sales across the UK increased by one per cent in February, following a revised 1.4 per cent rise in January.
This increase – according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) – was driven by a strong performance in non-food stores, which saw sales volumes rise across all categories, including clothing, department stores and household goods.
Despite the cold weather last month, consumers still looked to upgrade their wardrobes, as clothing and fashion stores saw their sales increase slightly.
Online retail also saw a bounce back last month, as spending values rose by 3.3 per cent after a weak start to the year. The proportion of total retail sales made online increased from 25.8 in January to 26.5 per cent in February.
Overall, sales volumes in the three months to February were up 0.3 per cent compared with the previous three months, and two per cent higher than the same period in 2024.
Kris Hamer, Director of Insight at the British Retail Consortium, said that retailers are hopeful the March sunshine will boost footfall and drive more consumer spending…
“But while the rain clouds may have gone away, retailers face £7bn in new costs in 2025 and the new business rates reform mean that retailers are hesitant to invest in new stores and jobs.”
Deloitte Head of Retail, Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, said these latest results from the ONS should be “reassuring” for retailers. However, he warned:
“While these results are positive, and a much needed boost for the sector, there are still headwinds for both consumers and retailers. Food inflation remains high, meaning consumers are buying less, and retailers will be feeling cautious in the build up to changes to wage costs next week. Retail businesses will be focusing on driving efficiency and limiting costs in order to build some resilience in the coming months.”
