UK store fashion outperforms as physical leads category higher

The pattern inverted from recent weeks, with UK store fashion sales growing +6.60% in the latest week against a near-flat +0.19% base last year — a clean underlying gain rather than a base-effect rebound, according to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker. Total fashion like-for-like (LFL) sales held in growth at +1.85%, against a positive +0.74% base.

The recovery in physical stores came as the online channel paused. Non-store fashion sales fell -3.53%, ending an eight-week run of growth, as cooler, wetter conditions replaced the prior week's record-breaking heatwave. The decline came against a demanding base of +8.13% for the same week last year — among the tougher year-on-year comparisons in the recent run.

The store-online switch coincided with a sharp weather pivot. Having experienced record-breaking temperatures the prior week, UK retailers faced "frequent rain and heavy showers, wind, and cooler air" across most of the country, in BDO's words. Footfall data backed the in-store strength: high street footfall fell -3.1%, but retail parks rose +2.7% and shopping centres edged up +0.2%, according to Springboard.

The wider retail picture was uniformly positive. Total LFL sales rose +2.59% from a +1.82% base, with total store LFLs up +4.99% from +1.60% and total non-store LFLs up +2.62% from a more demanding +6.42% base. All three comparisons this week were against positive year-ago numbers.

Both fashion channels remain in territory that retailers would recognise as healthy after the prior week's category-wide acceleration. Store sales picked up the lead this week with the cleanest underlying gain in the data, while the online pullback came off an exceptionally strong year-ago comparison rather than a soft underlying performance. The next two or three readings will show whether the channel switch is durable or simply weather-driven.