UK fashion shows resilience as wider retail slump enters fourth week

UK fashion retail proved more resilient than the broader high street in the latest week, with total like-for-like (LFL) sales slipping just -0.80%, according to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker. The result comes off a demanding base of +13.76% for the same week last year, and covers a period that included the Easter Monday break and half-term holidays.

The fashion category fared considerably better than the wider market, where total LFL sales fell -4.43% — the fourth consecutive weekly decline across lifestyle, fashion, and homewares. Total store LFLs dropped -4.03%, while total non-store LFLs grew +2.53%, both measured against stronger year-ago comparisons.

Fashion's online-offline split showed a clear divergence. Store fashion sales declined -2.60%, from a positive base of +3.86% last year. Non-store fashion sales edged up +1.03%, although the comparable base of +22.65% for the same week last year underlines how demanding the year-on-year comparison remains. Springboard footfall data points to a shift in where UK consumers are shopping rather than a broad retreat from physical retail. Overall footfall declined -0.8%, with retail parks up +1.8% and shopping centres up +1.5%, offsetting a -3.1% drop in high street footfall.

Weather conditions moved from unsettled post-storm skies into a warm, spring-like spell during the week, with temperatures climbing above seasonal norms in certain areas before turning more changeable toward the weekend. For fashion retailers, the transition into milder weather may have supported demand for spring collections, although the exceptionally strong year-ago comparisons — particularly the +22.65% base for online fashion — continue to weigh on headline growth figures despite the category's relative outperformance.