United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoYJuly 2023 Data - 1995-2022 Historical

Retail sales in the United Kingdom rose 1.8% on a like-for-like basis in July 2023 from a year ago, slowing from a 4.2% gain in June and marking the lowest reading in nine months as heavy rain and high inflation hurt retail activity during the period. The report said clothing and footwear retailers saw a sales drop, contributing to a 0.5% fall in overall non-food sales in the three months to July, while food and drinks sales grew at their slowest pace since the winter. Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “The slowing pace of retail price inflation fed through into slower sales this July. Spend was further depressed by the damp weather, which did no favours to sales of clothing, and other seasonal goods. Online spending was down again year on year as the post-Covid trend back to stores continued, leading to the lowest proportion of non-food sales online since the pandemic began.”

Retail sales in the United Kingdom rose 4.2% on a like-for-like basis in June 2023 from a year ago, accelerating from a 3.7% gain in May as warm weather prompted consumers to buy summer goods despite persistent pressure from inflation and higher interest rates. Still, much of the increase was driven by upward pressure on overall spending from inflation, masking a drop in sales volumes. Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “Sun-seekers headed to their favorite retailers to buy swimwear and beach towels, and outdoor games, garden furniture and barbecue food were boosted as families came together to celebrate Father’s Day.” Meanwhile, Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG said that “consumers have so far remained resilient, but the triple threats of further interest rate hikes, resolute double digit food inflation and an economy recovering at slower rate than predicted, could hamper a return to much needed profitable growth across the retail sector.”

Retail sales in the United Kingdom rose 3.7% on a like-for-like basis in May 2023 from a year ago, slowing from a 5.2% growth in April as soaring food prices prompted shoppers to rein in spending on non-essential items and dashed expectations of a boost from three public holidays. May’s figure was also the lowest in seven months. Grocery spending increased due to the coronation bank holiday and Eurovision while spending on fuel declined for the third consecutive period. Helen Dickinson, chief executive at the British Retail Consortium, said: “With consumer confidence still recovering from record depths and continued tightening of household incomes, we are unlikely to see substantial sales growth in the coming months.” However, she added signs of possibly waning inflation give the retailers hope that confidence will improve further.