United Kingdom Retail Sales Mom

Retail sales in the UK unexpectedly declined 0.3% month-over-month in December 2024, following a downwardly revised 0.1% rise in November and compared to forecasts of 0.4%. Falls in food stores (-1.9%), particularly supermarkets, were partly offset by a 1.1% rise in non-food stores, such as clothing retailers (4.4%), which rebounded from falls in recent months. Department stores and household goods stores also increased due to stronger Christmas sales. Year-on-year, retail sales were up 3.6%. Excluding fuel, retail sales declined at a faster 0.6% on the month but rose 2.9% on the year. Considering Q4, retail sales fell 0.8% compared with Q3 2024 but rose by 1.9% compared with a year earlier. For the full 2024, retail sales volumes rose by 0.7%, following a fall of 2.9% in 2023 and of 4.1% in 2022.