Retail sales: Key Economic Indicators

In March 2021, retail sales in Great Britain totalled £7.5 billion per week, up from £6.9 billion in February. This figure includes money spent in shops, supermarkets, in petrol stations and online.

Between February and March 2021, the total quantity of retail sales rose by 5.4%, compared to a rise of 2.1% between January and February – signalling a continued recovery from the pandemic

Overall, the volume of sales was 7.3% higher in March 2021 than one year previously (March 2020) and 1.6% higher than pre-pandemic levels (February 2020).

The volume of sales in food stores was up 5.6% in the three months to February 2021 on the same period last year.

In non-food stores, sales volumes were down 16.3% in the three months to March 2021 compared to the same period last year and down 16.0% compared to pre-pandemic levels (February 2020). However, non-food stores saw growth between February and March at 2.8%, with sales in clothing stores up17.5%.

The average weekly value of internet sales was £2.7 billion in March 2021, up 62.0% on the year. This was 32.8% of all retail sales (including fuel), down from 34.6% in February 2021 but still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels (19% in February 2020).