Retail Sales Great Britain - August 2024

26th September 2024

Retail sales volumes (quantity bought) are estimated to have risen by 1.0% in August 2024, following a rise of 0.7% in July 2024 (revised up from a 0.5% rise in our previous publication).

Some supermarkets and clothing retailers reported a boost because of warmer weather and end-of-season sales.

More broadly, sales volumes rose by 1.2% in the three months to August 2024, when compared with the three months to May 2024.

The chart shows the quantity bought in retail sales over time, for both the rolling three-month-on-three-month and the month-on-month movement.

Sales volumes rose by 1.0% during August 2024 following a 0.7% rise in July 2024. In August, sales volumes were at their highest index levels since July 2022. Over the year to August 2024, sales volumes rose by 2.5%, the largest annual rise since February 2022.

When compared with their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level in February 2020, volumes were down by 0.4%.

More broadly, there was a 1.2% rise across the three months to August 2024 when compared with the three months to May 2024, and a 1.0% rise when comparing with the same period last year. These data are available in our Retail Sales Index datasets.

The reporting period for this bulletin covers 28 July 2024 to 24 August 2024.

Food stores sales volumes rose by 1.8% in August 2024, following a rise of 0.3% in July 2024. Compared with August 2023, sales volumes rose by 0.6%, the largest yearly increase since July 2021. This growth was mainly from supermarkets. Retailers suggested that better weather contributed to rises in sales volumes.

Non-food stores sales volumes, the total of department, clothing, household and other non-food stores, rose by 0.6% in August 2024, with clothing stores having the largest impact. Comments from retailers attributed the growth to end-of-season sales, alongside some mention of better weather. This follows a rise of 1.6% in July 2024.

Read the full ONS report HERE