Fashion Business Intelligence

UK fashion accelerates as store sales rebound and online extends winning streak

UK fashion sales surged ahead in the latest week, with total like-for-like (LFL) sales up +10.29% according to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker. The category outpaced the wider retail market — total LFL sales across all categories rose +7.02% — and benefited from a favourable comparison: the same week last year saw fashion sales fall...

UK fashion sales weaken in April as consumer confidence falls

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show UK non-food retail sales declined in April as weak consumer confidence impacted discretionary spending. According to the BRC, total UK retail sales fell 3 percent year-on-year in the four weeks to May 2, while non-food sales declined 3.3 percent. In-store non-food sales dropped 4 percent...

Online surge lifts UK fashion back into growth as store sales slip : BDO Weekly

UK fashion sales returned to growth in the latest week, with total like-for-like (LFL) sales rising +3.07% over a period that included the early May bank holiday, according to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker. The result comes off a positive base of +2.80% for the same week last year. Online demand drove the entire fashion uplift....

UK retail footfall falls in April as consumer confidence weakens

UK retail footfall declined in April as consumer confidence weakened amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East, according to new data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Figures from BRC-Sensormatic showed total UK footfall fell 11 percent year-on-year in the four weeks to May 2, reversing the 2.4 percent increase recorded in March. High...

Seasonal events and warmer weather boost April retail footfall

UK retail footfall recorded a month-on-month increase in April, bolstered by warmer weather, Easter trading, bank holidays and major events including the London Marathon, according to new data from MRI Software. Across all UK retail destinations, footfall rose 2 percent between 5 April and 2 May 2026 compared with the previous month. High...

BRC warns of rising costs as Middle East conflict adds pressure

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called on the UK government to act on rising domestic cost pressures, as new polling shows growing concern among consumers over the impact of the Middle East conflict on prices. Research commissioned by the BRC found that 80 percent of people are worried the conflict will lead to higher food prices, while...

Corporate insolvencies in Western Europe reach record high

Berlin - The economic crisis is having serious, and for many, existential consequences for companies in Western Europe. According to the credit agency Creditreform, the number of corporate insolvencies rose last year to its highest level since records began in 2002. In 2025, a total of 197,610 insolvencies were recorded, an increase of 4.8...

UK Fashion retail sales rebounds as five-week store slump ends

The UK retail sector finally emerged from a month-long chill this week, as total like-for-like (LFL) sales jumped by +4.42%. Driven by a shift in weather and a renewed appetite for physical shopping, the results represent a significant turnaround from the -3.65% decline recorded during the same week last year. For the first time in over a month,...

Mary Portas to open BRC summer school to push community engagement

Retail consultant and broadcaster Mary Portas is set to launch a development programme for leaders in the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to urge the adoption of community engagement within the sector. Set to open in June, the BRC Leaders Summer School will focus on the divisive nature of retail, namely the contrast between companies competing...

Study: Retailers scale back growth plans as global pressures mount

Global retailers are becoming more cautious in their approach to growth strategies amid intensifying economic and geopolitical pressures, according to new research from World Retail Congress (WRC), Incisiv and Manhattan Associates. The study, released at this year’s WRC, which kicked off yesterday in Berlin and will run until April 29, found...