Overview
- ONS data show a 1.8% month-on-month rise and a 4.5% year-on-year increase in January, the largest monthly gain since May 2024.
- Automotive fuel, commercial art galleries and tech retailers drove the advance, while supermarkets and department stores underperformed.
- Retail volumes grew just 0.1% over the three months to January, and the three-month measure excluding autos and fuel slipped 0.1%.
- By category, food store sales rose 1.2%, other non-food stores climbed 5.3%, household goods increased 3.2% and non-store retailing gained 3.4%, as department stores fell 1.3%.
- Online sales remained a bright spot, up 10.8% year-on-year over the three months to January, with higher rainfall cited as a factor boosting internet spending.