Retail sales in the United Kingdom increased 1.5 percent month-over-month in September of 2020, beating forecasts of a 0.4 percent rise. It is the fifth consecutive month of rising retail sales and the third highest gain so far this year. Food sales have done well in recent months (0.7 percent vs 0.4 percent) as people have eaten out less, and sales also increased for household goods and garden items (0.9 percent vs 1.4 percent); fuel (0.1 percent vs 3.9 percent) and clothing (3.6 percent vs 12 percent). Retail sales are now 5.5 percent higher compared with February's pre-pandemic level. Considering the 3 months to September, retail sales volumes increased by 17.4 percent when compared with the previous three months; this is the biggest quarterly increase on record as sales picked up from record-low levels experienced earlier in the year amid the coronavirus lockdown. source: Office for National Statistics

Retail Sales MoM in the United Kingdom averaged 0.25 percent from 1996 until 2020, reaching an all time high of 13.90 percent in June of 2020 and a record low of -18.30 percent in April of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - United Kingdom Retail Sales MoM - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. United Kingdom Retail Sales MoM - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on October of 2020.

Retail Sales MoM in the United Kingdom is expected to be 1.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Retail Sales MoM in the United Kingdom to stand at -0.80 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the United Kingdom Retail Sales MoM is projected to trend around 0.60 percent in 2021 and 0.50 percent in 2022, according to our econometric models.

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United Kingdom Retail Sales MoM

Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
1.50 12.30 13.90 -18.30 1996 - 2020 percent Monthly
2016=100, SA


Calendar GMT Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2020-07-24 06:00 AM Jun 13.9% 12.3% 8% 7.4%
2020-08-21 06:00 AM Jul 3.6% 13.9% 2% 2.5%
2020-09-18 06:00 AM Aug 0.8% 3.7% 0.7% 0.5%
2020-10-23 06:00 AM Sep 1.5% 0.9% 0.4% 0.5%
2020-11-19 07:00 AM Oct 1.5%
2020-12-17 07:00 AM Nov
Go to our Calendar for more events. Or learn more about the Calendar API for direct access.


News Stream
UK Retail Sales Rise for 5th Month
Retail sales in the United Kingdom increased 1.5 percent month-over-month in September of 2020, beating forecasts of a 0.4 percent rise. It is the fifth consecutive month of rising retail sales and the third highest gain so far this year. Food sales have done well in recent months (0.7 percent vs 0.4 percent) as people have eaten out less, and sales also increased for household goods and garden items (0.9 percent vs 1.4 percent); fuel (0.1 percent vs 3.9 percent) and clothing (3.6 percent vs 12 percent). Retail sales are now 5.5 percent higher compared with February's pre-pandemic level. Considering the 3 months to September, retail sales volumes increased by 17.4 percent when compared with the previous three months; this is the biggest quarterly increase on record as sales picked up from record-low levels experienced earlier in the year amid the coronavirus lockdown.
2020-10-23
UK Retail Sales Slightly Higher than Expected
Retail sales in the United Kingdom went up 0.8 percent month-over-month in August of 2020, the fourth consecutive month of growth and resulting in an increase of 4 percent when compared with February’s pre-pandemic level. Figures were slightly better than forecasts of a 0.7% rise. Spending for home improvements continued to rise in August with sales at household goods stores increasing by 9.9 percent when compared with February. In contrast, online retail sales fell 2.5 percent, but the strong growth experienced over the pandemic has meant that sales were still 46.8 percent higher than February. Non-store retailing was 38.9 percent above February, while clothing stores were still 15.9 percent below February’s pre-pandemic levels. Year-on-year, retail sales increased 2.8 percent.
2020-09-18
UK Retail Sales Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels
UK retail trade increased 3.6 percent from a month earlier in July 2020, recovering further from the sharp falls during lockdown and easily beating market expectations of 2.0 percent, as non-food sales climbed 10.0 percent and fuel trade jumped 26.2 percent. Meanwhile, sales at food stores declined 3.1 percent, which could be explained by the re-opening of restaurants and bars from July 4th, as consumers’ retail food bills reduced as they began to eat out. At the same time, non-store retailing dropped for a second straight month from the sharp growth in March, April and May, possibly an impact of an increasing number of retail stores re-opening. Retail sales volumes were 3.0 percent above pre-pandemic levels in February, led by food sales (2.4 percent) and non-store retailing (49.2 percent), while non-food trade and fuel sales were down 6.6 percent and 11.7 percent respectively.
2020-08-21
UK Retail Sales Jump at Record Pace
Retail sales in the United Kingdom jumped 13.9 percent month-over-month in June of 2020, following an upwardly revised 12.3 percent rise in May and much better than market forecasts of an 8% rise. It is a record increase in retail sales, as non-food (45.5 percent) and fuel stores (21.5 percent) continue their recovery from the sharp fall experienced since March when the coronavirus lockdowns were introduced. Still, compared to February, the purchases are down 0.6 percent. Also, sales decreased 9.5 percent in Q2 compared to Q1 with declines across all store types except food and non-store retailing.
2020-07-24

United Kingdom Retail Sales MoM
In the United Kingdom, the Retail sales report provides an aggregated measure of sales of retail goods and services over a specific time period. In the United Kingdom, Retail sales are seasonal, volatile and relatively important to the overall economy.