Growth in supermarkets and other non-food stores was partly offset by a fall in clothing retailers.
UK retail sales volumes are estimated to have risen by 0.2 per cent month on month (MoM) in November, following October’s 0.7-per cent fall.
Clothing stores sales volumes fell by 2.6 per cent MoM in the month, following October’s 3.5-per cent fall.
This left clothing stores sales volumes at their lowest level since January 2022, with retailers reporting that economic factors were affecting sales.
Over the year to November 2024, sales volumes rose by 0.5 per cent.
When compared with their pre-COVID-19 pandemic level in February 2020, volumes were down by 1.6 per cent.
There was a 0.3-per cent rise across the three months to November compared with the three months to August; the rise was 1.9 per cent year on year (YoY).
The total sales volume of department, clothing, household and other non-food stores rose by 0.2 per cent MoM in November with a strong positive contribution from other retail sales.
Clothing stores sales volumes fell by 2.6 per cent MoM in November, following a 3.5-per cent MoM fall in October. This left clothing stores sales volumes at their lowest level since January 2022, with retailers reporting that economic factors were affecting sales, an ONS release said.
Online sales fell across all main sectors for the second month in a row. The amount spent online fell by 4.3 per cent MoM during November, the largest drop since March 2022; the drop was 3.1 per cent YoY.
Total spend—the sum of in-store and online sales—rose by 0.3 per cent MoM in November. As a result, the proportion of sales made online decreased from 27.5 per cent in October 2024 to 26.2 per cent in November—its lowest level since February 2024.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
