The UK retail goes through its toughest spot since 2013

Dr Tim Denison, head of retail intelligence, Ipsos Retail Performance, summarises the reasons why this five-year low has been reached, recalling that “Online retailing has had a seismic impact on the way that retailers approach both Black Friday promotions and the Christmas trading period. To make the most of these increases in online sales, there has to be further investment in productivity and multichannel offerings in 2018, as retailers aim to reduce costs and improve margins, so as much profit as possible is squeezed out of any increases in demand.”