BDO: Sales across UK retail sector up 2.65% this week

Total like-for-like sales across the UK retail sector increased by 2.65 percent this week, building on a 0.31 percent rise from the same period last year. This marks a third consecutive week of positive growth, driven by healthy trade within the fashion and homewares sectors, according to the BDO High Street Sales Tracker.

The fashion industry's performance was bolstered by a combination of in-store and online sales. Total store like-for-like sales across all segments grew by 3.51 percent, offsetting a negative base of -0.39 percent from the previous year. This positive momentum for physical retail, which was sustained across all segments, suggests that consumers are returning to brick and mortar locations despite a drop in overall footfall. Total non-store like-for-like sales also saw robust growth, rising by 4.38 percent, indicating continued strength in e-commerce.

Despite the positive sales figures, overall footfall declined by 0.9 percent. This decrease was seen across all tracked categories, with shopping centers experiencing a 1.8 percent drop, retail parks a 1.4 percent decline, and high streets a 0.3 percent reduction in foot traffic. The mixed weather, which included sunny, dry spells interspersed with light showers, appears to have had a muted impact on physical store visits. However, the strong sales growth, particularly within the fashion sector, suggests that those who did visit stores were motivated to make purchases.