Retail sales Great Britain - January 2025

21st February 2025

Retail sales volumes (quantity bought) are estimated to have risen by 1.7% in January 2025. This follows a fall of 0.6% in December 2024 (revised down from a fall of 0.3% in our last bulletin).

Food store sales volumes grew strongly in January 2025, following falls in recent months.

More broadly, sales volumes fell by 0.6% in the three months to January 2025, compared with the three months to October 2024, but rose by 1.4%, compared with the three months to January 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 movements.

Sales volumes rose by 1.7% during January 2025, following a 0.6% fall in December. Monthly index levels in January 2025 were their highest since August 2024. Sales volumes rose by 1.0% over the year to January 2025.

Volumes were down by 1.3%, compared with their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level in February 2020.

More broadly, there was a 0.6% fall across the three months to January 2025, when compared with the three months to October 2024. This is because of low November and December sales in 2024. There was a 1.4% rise when comparing with the same period last year.

Food stores sales volumes rose by 5.6% on the month. This is the largest rise since March 2020, putting index levels at their highest since June 2023. This follows four consecutive falls on the month, ending in December 2024 when index levels were their lowest since April 2013. Supermarkets, specialist food stores like butchers and bakers, and alcohol and tobacco stores all rose over the month. Retailers suggested that the increase was because of more people eating at home in January.

Non-store retailers' sales volumes rose 2.4% on the month, partially rebounding from a 3.4% fall in December 2024. Retailers in this sector reported post-Christmas sales remaining strong.

Non-food stores - the total of department, clothing, household and other non-food stores - fell 1.3% over the month. Clothing retailers and household goods stores suggested the fall was because of reduced consumer confidence.

Read the full ONS report HERE