UK retail sales rose 2.3% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in January 2026, accelerating from a 1% increase in December and marking the fastest pace of growth since August, as shoppers who held back during the holiday season returned in force. The outturn also beat market expectations of a 1.2% rise, reinforcing signs of improving economic momentum after the late-2025 slowdown. Non-food sales climbed 1.7% from a year earlier, exceeding the 12-month average of 1.1%, while food sales increased 3.8%, broadly in line with the 12-month average. Commenting on the data, BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said a “drab December gave way to a brighter January as retail sales picked up pace,” noting that many consumers postponed Christmas spending and waited for January discounts. She added that in-store sales recorded their strongest growth in more than six months. source: BRC - British Retail Consortium

BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom increased to 2.30 percent in January from 1 percent in December of 2025. BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom averaged 1.94 percent from 1995 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 39.60 percent in April of 2021 and a record low of -4.90 percent in November of 2019. This page includes a chart with historical data for the United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY. United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on February of 2026.

BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom increased to 2.30 percent in January from 1 percent in December of 2025. BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom is expected to be 2.70 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY is projected to trend around 2.50 percent in 2027 and 2.30 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-13 12:01 AM
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
Dec 1% 1.2% 0.6% 0.9%
2026-02-10 12:01 AM
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
Jan 2.3% 1% 1.2% 1.3%
2026-03-10 12:01 AM
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
Feb 2.3% 1.1%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 1671.00 1850.00 Companies Dec 2025
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY 2.30 1.00 percent Jan 2026
CBI Business Optimism Index -19.00 -31.00 points Mar 2026
Car Production YoY 53003.00 65932.00 Units Dec 2025
Car Registrations 144127.00 146249.00 Units Jan 2026
Changes in Inventories 1402.00 1860.00 GBP Million Sep 2025
Composite Leading Indicator 101.07 101.04 points Jan 2026
Corporate Profits 160993.00 160867.00 GBP Million Sep 2025
Corruption Index 70.00 71.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 20.00 20.00 Dec 2025
Crude Oil Rigs 3.00 3.00 Jan 2026
Electricity Price 74.72 75.16 GBP/MWh Feb 2026
Electricity Production 49970.00 49485.00 Gigawatt-hour Sep 2025
CBI Industrial Trends Orders -30.00 -32.00 Net Balance Jan 2026
Industrial Production YoY 0.50 2.30 percent Dec 2025
Industrial Production MoM -0.90 1.30 percent Dec 2025
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.10 -0.10 percent Dec 2025
Manufacturing Production YoY 0.50 1.30 percent Dec 2025
Manufacturing Production MoM -0.50 1.90 Percent Dec 2025
Mining Production -0.60 2.10 percent Dec 2025
New Orders 12049.00 10971.00 GBP Million Sep 2025
New Car Sales YoY 3.40 3.90 percent Jan 2026
Business Investment -2.70 1.60 percent Dec 2025


United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor measures changes in the actual value of retail sales from a sample of retailers. The Monitor measures the value of spending and hence does not adjust for price changes. If prices are rising, sales volumes will increase by less than sales values. In times of price deflation, sales volumes will increase by more than sales values. Retailers report the value of their sales and sales in the equivalent week a year ago. These figures are reported both in total and on a ‘like-for-like’ basis. The percentage increase in the value of sales on a ‘like-for-like’ basis removes the effect of the expansion of retail floor space by the retailers concerned on their sales total. Due to the sample being biased towards large retailers, the ‘like-for-like’ increase usually provides a more accurate guide to general spending patterns, though it will be biased downwards as an estimate of the growth rate for retail as a whole.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
2.30 1.00 39.60 -4.90 1995 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
UK Retail Sales Growth Hits 5-Month High
UK retail sales rose 2.3% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in January 2026, accelerating from a 1% increase in December and marking the fastest pace of growth since August, as shoppers who held back during the holiday season returned in force. The outturn also beat market expectations of a 1.2% rise, reinforcing signs of improving economic momentum after the late-2025 slowdown. Non-food sales climbed 1.7% from a year earlier, exceeding the 12-month average of 1.1%, while food sales increased 3.8%, broadly in line with the 12-month average. Commenting on the data, BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said a “drab December gave way to a brighter January as retail sales picked up pace,” noting that many consumers postponed Christmas spending and waited for January discounts. She added that in-store sales recorded their strongest growth in more than six months.
2026-02-10
UK Retail Sales Growth Hits 7-Month Low
UK retail sales rose 1% year on year on a like-for-like basis in December 2025, the weakest pace in seven months as households reined in holiday spending amid persistent cost pressures. The reading was sharply below the 3.1% increase recorded in December 2024 but exceeded market expectations for a 0.6% gain. Non-food sales slipped 0.3% on the month, well under the 12 month average growth of 1.1%, while food sales climbed 3.1%, reflecting higher prices but also trailing the 12 month average of 3.7%. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “It was a drab Christmas for retailers, as sales growth slowed for the fourth consecutive month.” She added: “Many shoppers were clearly waiting for discounts, with the final week seeing a notable uplift driven by Boxing Day and the start of the January sales.”
2026-01-13
UK Retail Sales Growth Slows to 6-Month Low
UK retail sales rose 1.2% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in November 2025, the slowest pace in six months as consumers cautiously awaited finance minister Rachel Reeves’ budget and Black Friday sales underwhelmed. Food sales growth eased to 3.0% from 3.5% in October, though still above the 2.2% increase recorded in November 2024. Non-food sales inched up 0.1% for a second month, a sharp improvement from the 7.9% decline seen a year earlier. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Pre-budget jitters among shoppers meant the month of Black Friday did not deliver as strongly as retailers had hoped or the economy needed. Sales growth was the weakest in six months, despite the elevated inflation. Not unexpectedly, online dominated, with the proportion of non-food bought online reaching its highest level since 2022.”
2025-12-09