UK monthly retail sales fall unexpectedly in December

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Retail sales volumes in the UK unexpectedly fell 0.3% month-on-month in December, bucking market forecasts of a 0.4% gain, according to data released Friday by the Office for National Statistics.

The fall came after a downwardly revised 0.1% increase in November and two straight months of declines in September and October.

Food store volumes fell 1.9% in the month, the lowest figure since April 2013. The monthly fall was strongest within supermarkets, but sales volumes also dropped in specialist food stores and alcohol and tobacco stores.

Non-food store sales volumes – including department, clothing, household, and other non-food stores – rose 1.1% in the month, which includes the height of the holiday shopping season.

Clothing stores had the largest upward contribution, rising 4.4% in December, rebounding from falls of 3.5% in November 2024 and 3.3% in October 2024.

In 2024, retail sales volumes rose 0.7%, following drops of 2.9% in 2023 and 4.1% in 2022.