ONS news and archive

UK retail sales fall in December, but fashion sales rise

The volume of retail sales in the UK dropped in December during the important Christmas trading period, but fashion sales increased slightly. Retail sales volumes are estimated to have dropped 1 percent last month following a drop of 0.5 percent in November, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). On a...

Retail

Black Friday and Christmas sales gave no uplift to retailers

UK retail sales volumes fell by 0.4 percent in November following a rise of 0.9 percent in October when there was a bounce back from the impact of the additional Bank Holiday in September for the State Funeral. Neither Black Friday or the run-up to the Christmas shopping season significantly lifted sales. Figures from the ONS said online...

RetailFeatured

UK retail sales in September fell below 2020 levels

UK retail sales slid 1.4 percent in September, 1.3 percent below pre-covid levels in February 2020, according the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While retailers continue to mention the effect of rising prices and the cost of living on sales volumes, data for September 2022 are also affected by the bank holiday for the...

Retail

Retailers could soon be forced to disclose disability pay

UK listed businesses may soon have to expand their diversity reporting to include disability pay. While the gender pay gap is officially addressed by many companies now that regulations requires the information to be disclosed, the same could soon hold for disability pay gaps. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show a pay gap of...

Retail

UK fashion sales drop in June

Clothing stores sales volumes in the UK fell by 4.7 percent in June from an increase of 2.2 percent in May, new figures show. It was a marked change for the fashion retail industry, which has been performing relatively strongly this year compared to other sectors. Overall retail sales volumes fell by 0.1 percent in June 2022 following a fall of...

BusinessFeatured

The fashion industry is facing a skilled worker shortage

Warnings of staffing shortages in the UK after Brexit was invoked is now being echoed by a global need for fashion talent. Last week luxury group LVMH said it was looking to fill 2,000 positions by the end of the year, and 30,000 by 2024, as a need for specialised personnel is leaving gaps in the fashion sector. WWD said LVMH’s executive vice...

Business

UK inflation rate hits 40-year high in May

The rate of inflation in the UK hit its highest point in 40 years in May as prices for food, energy and fuel continued to climb, new data shows. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 9.1 percent in the 12 months to May 2022, up from 9 percent in April, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The increase was in line...

Business

UK consumer price inflation in March hits 30-year high

UK consumer price inflation in March hit its highest point since 1992 as fuel prices continued to surge. The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose by 7 percent in the year to March 2022, up from 6.2 percent in February, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). That figure was above economists' estimates of 6.7 percent,...

BusinessFeatured

Retail sales fell slightly in February, but fashion and clothing sales up

UK retail sales dropped slightly in February as geopolitical uncertainty and inflation dampened consumers' desire to spend, though sales for clothing and footwear were up, new data shows. Overall retail sales volumes fell 0.3 percent last month following a rise of 1.9 percent in January. But February sales were still 3.7 percent above pre-Covid...

Business

UK economy grows 7.5 percent in 2021 as it rebounds from 2020 slump

The UK economy grew last year at its fastest pace since the Second World War as the country recovered from the crippling impact of the pandemic in 2020. According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK’s GDP saw an annual rise of 7.5 percent last year, the fastest rate since 1941. That growth was in contrast...

Retail

UK retail jobs fall in second quarter

The UK’s retail industry lost 89,000 jobs in the second quarter compared to the same period a year ago, new data shows. Despite strong retail sales in recent months, the number of retail jobs fell to 3.015 million during the quarter, according to the latest ONS figures. But it was a brighter picture for the overall job market, with the number of...

Retail

UK fashion sales dive in November

The UK saw a sharp fall in the sales volume of clothing in November compared to the month before, as lockdowns across the four nations hindered retailers' hopes for a pre-Christmas sales rebound. Clothing retailers were the worst-hit category, with a monthly fall of 19 percent, according to the latest figures from the Office for National...