Retail sales, Great Britain: February 2026 - Fall 0.4%

27th March 2026

The quantity of goods bought (volume) in retail sales is estimated to have risen by 0.7% in the three months to February 2026, compared with the three months to November 2025.

The rise was mainly because of better sales for non-store retailers in the three months to February 2026, following a weaker November 2025, as well as strong artwork sales volumes in January 2026.

Retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 0.4% in February 2026, following a rise of 2.0% in January 2026, (revised up from a 1.8% rise in our previous publication) and a rise of 0.1% in December 2025 (revised down from a 0.4% rise in our previous publication).

Supermarkets' sales volumes fell back following a rise in January 2026. Non-store retailers' volumes also fell in February, with retailers suggesting that consumers brought forward their spending to January 2026, to maximise on discounting during the period.

Sales volumes rose by 0.7% in the three months to February 2026, compared with the three months to November 2025. Sales volumes were 3.0% higher than in the three months to February 2025.

Sales volumes fell by 0.4% over the month during February 2026, following a rise of 2.0% in January 2026. Sales volumes rose by 2.5% over the year to February 2026.

Volumes were down by 0.3% compared with their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level in February 2020.

Sales volumes rose by 0.7% over the three months to February 2026. This was partly because non-store retailers (which are mainly online) saw strong sales volumes across the last three months, peaking in January 2026. Comments from retailers suggested that video games, wine, sports supplements, and sports clothing sold well over December and January.

Non-food stores (the total of department, clothing, household, and other non-food stores) rose 0.5% over the three months to February 2026. This was partly because of strong volumes for other non-food stores in January 2026, caused by commercial art galleries, which continued to rise in February.

Sales volumes fell 0.4% over the month to February 2026. Supermarket volumes fell back following a rise in January 2026 but remained above December 2025 levels. Household goods stores also fell on the month, with retailers suggesting wet weather reduced demand. The Met Office Weather and Climate summaries explain that the UK had above average rainfall in February 2026, more so than in either January 2026 or February 2025.

Finally, non-store retailers' sales volumes dipped slightly over the month, with retailers suggesting that consumers brought forward their spending to January 2026 to maximise on discounting during the period.

The amount spent online, known as "online spending values", rose by 1.9% comparing the three months to February 2026 with the three months to November 2025. It rose by 12.1% when comparing the same period with the three months to February 2025.

Within the monthly series, online sales values rose by 0.6% over the month to February 2026, and by 11.4% comparing February 2026 with February 2025.

The total spend (the sum of in-store and online sales) fell by 0.3% over the month. As a result, the proportion of sales made online rose from 28.0% in January 2026 to 28.2% in February 2026.

Read the full ONS report HERE