United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY

Retail sales in the United Kingdom rose just 0.3% on a like-for-like basis in October 2024, a sharp slowdown from the 1.7% growth seen in September. The weaker performance reflects consumer caution ahead of Black Friday promotions and a later-than-usual school half-term break. The October increase also fell significantly short of the 1.4% growth forecast by analysts. Fashion sales were particularly impacted, with mild weather delaying winter clothing purchases, while health and beauty sales held up better, driven by strong demand for beauty advent calendars. Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), commented: “After a strong start to autumn, October’s sales growth was disappointing. This was partly due to the later timing of the school half-term, which depressed sales, but November is expected to see a stronger performance.” She also noted that consumer sentiment was affected by ongoing uncertainty around the upcoming Budget and rising energy costs.