Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators: 27 February 2025

28th February 2025

Overall retail footfall increased by 6% in the week to 23 February 2025 from the previous week, coinciding with school half-term holidays for some parts of the UK. This was 5% higher than in the equivalent week of 2024 (MRI OnLocation).
In the week to 23 February 2025, total Revolut debit card spending decreased by 1% compared with the previous week.

When compared with the equivalent week of 2024, total Revolut debit card spending increased by 8% (Revolut).

Initial findings show that 35% of trading businesses reported that they expect staffing costs to rise over the next three months, this is a 10-percentage point increase from expectations during November 2024 (initial results from Wave 127 of the Business Insights and Conditions Survey).

The System Average Price (SAP) of gas decreased by 14% to 3.914 pence per kilowatt hour (p/kWh) in the week to 23 February 2025 compared with the previous week, while the System Price of electricity decreased by 36% to 7.428p/kWh; when compared with the equivalent week of 2024, System Average Price of gas and System Price of electricity increased by 100% and 28%, respectively. (Elexon, National Gas Transmission).
In the week to 23 February 2025, the number of ship visits to major UK ports decreased by 4% and the average number of daily UK flights increased by 3% compared with the previous week; when compared with the equivalent week of 2024, ship visits to major UK ports decreased by 6%, while the number of daily flights increased by 8% (exactEarth, EUROCONTROL).

The total number of Energy Performance Building Certificates (EPCs) in the week to 23 February 2025 for new dwellings across England and Wales decreased by 21% when compared with the equivalent week of 2024; for existing dwellings, it decreased by 9% (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government).

Read the full ONS report HERE