Retail sales: Economic indicators

Economic indicators are quick-read summaries of the latest data focusing on different aspects of the UK economy. The full suite of indicators can be found on the main Economic Indicators page.

In December 2024, retail sales in Great Britain totalled £10.1 billion per week, up from £9.1 billion in October. This figure includes money spent in shops, supermarkets, in petrol stations and online.

Between November and December, the total quantity of retail sales volumes fell by 0.3%, following an increase of 0.1% between October and November.

In the three months to December 2024, the volume of sales rose by 1.9% compared with the same period last year. The volume of sales fell by 0.8% in the three months to December 2024 compared with the previous three months. The volume of sales was 2.5% lower in December 2024 compared to February 2020 and pre-pandemic levels.

Sales in food stores fell by 1.9% in December compared with November, putting index levels at their lowest since April 2013. The monthly fall was most pronounced in supermarket sales.

Sales in non-food stores, such as clothing and department stores, rose by 1.1% between November and December. Clothing stores reported an increase of 4.4% in December, following falls of 3.5% in November and 3.3% in October, with retailers reporting stronger Christmas sales.

The average weekly value of internet sales was £2.4 billion in December 2024 (excluding fuel). This was 27.0% of all retail sales. Internet sales as a proportion of all retail sales have been rising steadily since 2006, reaching around 19% of all sales in 2019. Internet sales rose sharply in April 2020 with the onset of the pandemic.

Next updates

This page is updated when new data is published. The next source updates will be:

• ONS, Retail Sales, 21 February 2025