UK retail sales rose 0.7% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in February 2026, falling short of market expectations for a 2.4% gain as wet weather dampened shopping activity. The February figure also slowed sharply from a 2.3% rise in January, marking the weakest growth in nine months. Food sales increased 2.9% in February, below the 12-month average of 3.8%, while non-food sales fell 0.4%, compared with an average 1% growth over the past year. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “February’s grey, wet weather hit retail sales hard. Spending was weak across most categories, online and in-store, as households pulled back after Christmas and January’s rebound.” She added that the conflict in the Middle East is likely to further weigh on consumer sentiment. However, Valentine’s Day provided a small bright spot, with jewellery, watches, and perfume performing better as consumers still treated loved ones. source: BRC - British Retail Consortium

BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom decreased to 0.70 percent in February from 2.30 percent in January of 2026. 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 March of 2026.

BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom decreased to 0.70 percent in February from 2.30 percent in January of 2026. 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
2026-02-10 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 0.7% 2.3% 2.4% 1.1%
2026-04-13 11:01 PM
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
Mar 0.7% 2.7%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 1744.00 1683.00 Companies Jan 2026
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY 0.70 2.30 percent Feb 2026
CBI Business Optimism Index -19.00 -31.00 points Mar 2026
Car Production YoY 65249.00 53003.00 Units Jan 2026
Car Registrations 90100.00 144127.00 Units Feb 2026
Changes in Inventories -1660.00 1026.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Composite Leading Indicator 101.22 101.14 points Feb 2026
Corporate Profits 165030.00 160993.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
Corruption Index 70.00 71.00 Points Dec 2025
Corruption Rank 20.00 20.00 Dec 2025
Crude Oil Rigs 5.00 3.00 Feb 2026
Electricity Price 97.38 95.42 GBP/MWh Mar 2026
Electricity Production 49970.00 49485.00 Gigawatt-hour Sep 2025
CBI Industrial Trends Orders -28.00 -30.00 Net Balance Feb 2026
Industrial Production YoY 0.40 0.50 percent Jan 2026
Industrial Production MoM -0.10 -0.90 percent Jan 2026
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.20 0.10 percent Jan 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY 1.30 0.50 percent Jan 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM 0.10 -0.50 Percent Jan 2026
Mining Production -5.20 -0.60 percent Jan 2026
New Orders 11935.00 12404.00 GBP Million Dec 2025
New Car Sales YoY 7.20 3.40 percent Feb 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
0.70 2.30 39.60 -4.90 1995 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
UK Retail Sales Below Forecasts in February
UK retail sales rose 0.7% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in February 2026, falling short of market expectations for a 2.4% gain as wet weather dampened shopping activity. The February figure also slowed sharply from a 2.3% rise in January, marking the weakest growth in nine months. Food sales increased 2.9% in February, below the 12-month average of 3.8%, while non-food sales fell 0.4%, compared with an average 1% growth over the past year. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “February’s grey, wet weather hit retail sales hard. Spending was weak across most categories, online and in-store, as households pulled back after Christmas and January’s rebound.” She added that the conflict in the Middle East is likely to further weigh on consumer sentiment. However, Valentine’s Day provided a small bright spot, with jewellery, watches, and perfume performing better as consumers still treated loved ones.
2026-03-10
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