Retail sales volumes in Great Britain increased by 0.2% in November 2024, reversing a 0.7% decline in October. Despite this monthly growth, sales volumes remained 1.6% below pre-pandemic levels in February 2020. Over the year to November, sales volumes rose by 0.5%.
Food stores saw a positive shift, with sales volumes rising by 0.5% after two months of decline. This growth was particularly driven by supermarkets. Non-food stores, which include department, household, and other retail outlets, experienced a modest 0.2% increase. Notably, “other non-food” retail sales surged by 7.9%, recovering from a significant drop of 7.1% in October. Household goods stores, especially furniture, contributed to this growth with a 1.1% rise.
Great Britain Retail Sales: Modest Increase in November 2024
In contrast, clothing retailers continued to struggle, with sales volumes falling by 2.6% in November. This was following a 3.5% drop in October. This marks the second consecutive month of declines in the clothing sector, bringing sales to their lowest point since January 2022. Retailers cited ongoing economic pressures as a factor impacting consumer spending in this category.
November’s retail performance also took into account the timing of Black Friday, which officially occurred on 29 November, outside the reporting period. This timing shift was handled by seasonal adjustments in the data. Early Black Friday promotions were captured in the November non-seasonally adjusted estimates, but the majority of the sales impact will be reflected in the December data.
The broader retail outlook showed a 0.3% rise in sales volumes over the three months to November compared to the previous quarter. Year-on-year, there was a 1.9% increase, pointing to continued resilience in the sector despite challenges, particularly in clothing.
The timing of Black Friday, falling outside the reporting period, means its full impact will be reflected in December data. Overall, while challenges remain, particularly in clothing retail, the broader retail sector showed resilience with modest year-on-year growth and a slight improvement over the previous quarter.
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