Retail Sales in Great Britain Drop Slightly in December 2024

Retail sales in Great Britain saw a slight decrease of 0.3% in December 2024, following a modest 0.1% rise in November, which was down from an initial estimate of 0.2%. The decline in supermarket sales was partially by a rise in non-food store sales, particularly in clothing, which rebounded after months of downturn.

For the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2024, retail sales volumes fell by 0.8% compared to the third quarter (July to September). However, compared to the same period in 2023, sales volumes rose by 1.9%.

Retail Sales in Great Britain Drop Slightly in December 2024

In December alone, sales volumes were up by 3.6% in comparison to the previous year, recovering from a significant drop in December 2023. Despite this year-on-year growth, volumes were still down by 2.5% compared to pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.

Food stores experienced a notable decline in December, with sales volumes falling 1.9%. This decline, which brought levels to their lowest since April 2013, was primarily due to supermarkets, but specialist food stores and alcohol and tobacco retailers also saw declines. On the other hand, clothing sales surged by 4.4%, marking a strong recovery from the previous two months. Department stores and household goods stores also saw positive growth.

The online retail sector showed signs of recovery in December, with online sales rising by 1.5%. Total retail spending, combining both in-store and online sales, increased slightly by 0.1% in December. Consequently, the share of online sales grew to 27.0% of total retail sales, up from 26.5% in November.

For 2024, overall retail sales volumes rose by 0.7%, reversing the downward trend seen in the previous three years. Non-food sectors and automotive fuel sales showed a strong recovery, while food stores experienced a smaller decline compared to previous years.

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