This general enhance in retail gross sales follows an increase of 1.4% in January 2025. Nevertheless, month-to-month gross sales volumes in February 2025 had been at their highest degree since July 2022.
Gross sales volumes rose by 2.2% over the yr to February 2025.
Non-food retailer gross sales volumes grew 3.1% in February 2025, with rises throughout all 4 sub-sectors (division, different non-food, clothes and family items shops).
Whereas textile, clothes and footwear retailer gross sales grew by 2.3%, they didn’t totally get better from the two.7% fall the earlier month.
The ONS acknowledged elevated discounting and falling clothes costs could have contributed to the rise in gross sales volumes.
Elsewhere, gross sales through malls grew 0.7%.
On-line gross sales climbed 3.3% in February, or 3.9% when evaluating February 2025 with February 2024.
Sagar Shah, affiliate accomplice at McKinsey & Firm, mentioned: “The rise in gross sales of 1% doesn’t paint the entire image. Whereas volumes crept up, discounting and prolonged Gross sales intervals performed a pivotal position.
“Zooming out, easing inflation [The Consumer Price Index rose by 2.8% in the 12 months to February 2025, down from 3% in January] has but to translate into stronger gross sales quantity development. In the meantime, rising wages are squeezing margins, forcing retailers to rethink their playbook – adjusting the value quantity combine by way of discounting and tweaking promotions.”
