UK retail sales increased by 3.7% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in May 2026, exceeding market expectations for a 0.6% gain and marking the strongest growth since April 2025. The latest figure rebounded from a 3.4% decline in April, driven largely by seasonal demand during a May heatwave and the early bank holiday period. Food sales advanced 3.9%, lifted by bank holiday barbecue demand, while non-food categories, such as clothing, footwear, outdoor goods, health and beauty, and home products, rose 3.5% as warmer weather encouraged spending in outdoor and summer goods. However, travel spending fell 5.8% year-on-year for a third consecutive month, and airline expenditure dropped 12.9%. Barclays said two-thirds of respondents were adjusting their finances because of broader economic uncertainty, including concerns linked to the Iran conflict and rising living costs. source: BRC - British Retail Consortium

BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom increased to 3.40 percent in May from -3.40 percent in April of 2026. BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom averaged 1.93 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 June of 2026.

BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom increased to 3.40 percent in May from -3.40 percent in April of 2026. BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY in the United Kingdom is expected to be 1.80 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
2026-05-11 11:01 PM
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
Apr -3.4% 3.1% 0.8% 0.5%
2026-06-08 11:01 PM
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
May 3.4% -3.4% 0.6% -3.0%
2026-07-13 11:01 PM
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY
Jun 3.4% 1.8%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 1868.00 2087.00 Companies May 2026
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY 3.40 -3.40 percent May 2026
CBI Business Optimism Index -65.00 -19.00 points Jun 2026
Car Production YoY 49249.00 56135.00 Units May 2026
Car Registrations 160662.00 149247.00 Units May 2026
Changes in Inventories 4565.00 -8.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
Composite Leading Indicator 100.50 100.69 points May 2026
Corporate Profits 169181.00 165769.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
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Corruption Rank 20.00 20.00 Dec 2025
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Electricity Price 90.41 91.78 GBP/MWh Jun 2026
Electricity Production 65847.60 49685.20 Gigawatt-hour Dec 2025
CBI Industrial Trends Orders -45.00 -41.00 Net Balance Jun 2026
Industrial Production YoY -0.20 0.00 percent Apr 2026
Industrial Production MoM 0.00 -0.20 percent Apr 2026
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.70 0.60 percent Apr 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY 1.00 1.20 percent Apr 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM 0.40 1.20 Percent Apr 2026
Mining Production -4.70 -3.90 percent Apr 2026
New Orders 10553.00 11791.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
New Car Sales YoY 7.10 24.00 percent May 2026
Business Investment QoQ 0.70 -2.90 percent Mar 2026


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
3.40 -3.40 39.60 -4.90 1995 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
UK Retail Sales Growth Strongest in Over a Year
UK retail sales increased by 3.7% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in May 2026, exceeding market expectations for a 0.6% gain and marking the strongest growth since April 2025. The latest figure rebounded from a 3.4% decline in April, driven largely by seasonal demand during a May heatwave and the early bank holiday period. Food sales advanced 3.9%, lifted by bank holiday barbecue demand, while non-food categories, such as clothing, footwear, outdoor goods, health and beauty, and home products, rose 3.5% as warmer weather encouraged spending in outdoor and summer goods. However, travel spending fell 5.8% year-on-year for a third consecutive month, and airline expenditure dropped 12.9%. Barclays said two-thirds of respondents were adjusting their finances because of broader economic uncertainty, including concerns linked to the Iran conflict and rising living costs.
2026-06-08
UK Retail Sales Fall for 1st Time Since 2024
UK retail sales decreased by 3.4% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in April 2026, sharply missing expectations for a 0.8% increase and reversing the 3.1% growth recorded in March. The latest figure marked the first contraction in retail activity since November 2024, highlighting a notable deterioration in consumer demand. Broader data also showed Barclays credit and debit card spending falling 0.1% annually, the first decline in five months, while total retail sales dropped 3%. The pullback was most evident in discretionary categories, with travel spending plunging 5.7% and weakness also seen in furniture, hotels, and other big-ticket purchases. Retailers attributed the slowdown to uncertainty surrounding the Iran conflict, which fueled concerns over higher living costs and prompted households to prioritize savings over spending. While Easter timing effects partly distorted the monthly comparison, the data still points to weakening UK consumer confidence.
2026-05-11
UK Retail Sales Growth Accelerates to 11-Month High
UK retail sales increased 3.1% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in March 2026, far above market expectations for a 0.9% rise. The latest figure also rose sharply from February’s nine-month low of 0.7%, marking the strongest growth since April 2025, mainly attributed to an early Easter. Food sales rose 6.8%, surpassing the 12-month average of 2.6%. Meanwhile, non-food sales rose 0.9%, below the average 1.1% growth over the past year. However, the clothing and footwear sectors continued to face challenges. Furthermore, uncertainty surrounding international travel due to the Middle East situation negatively impacted sales of travel-related goods. BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said: “An early Easter provided a much-needed boost to food sales as families came together over the long weekend.” She added that retailers hope the Middle East ceasefire will bring lasting stability, but the outlook remains uncertain.
2026-04-13