Fashion Business Intelligence

Fashion outpaces wider retail sales with third consecutive week of growth

The UK retail sector saw a slight contraction this week, with total like-for-like (LFL) sales dropping by -0.94%. While this figure sits against a challenging +8.60% base from the previous year, the data reveals a clear "tug-of-war" between physical and digital channels, with fashion retailers proving most resilient on the shop floor. The...

UK: Sales rebound in December in much-needed boost for retailers

New figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have shown a modest, yet much-needed increase in retail sales volumes for December 2025, a positive end to a significantly more muted year for the sector. Over the month, sales rose 0.4 percent, up from a decline of 0.1 percent in November and a steeper drop of 0.8 percent in October....

World Footwear analysis: a divergent market heading into 2026

World Footwear’s latest Retail Flash report, published December 23 last year, paints a starkly contrasting picture of the global footwear landscape. While e-commerce growth and margin erosion are consistent global themes, their operational impacts vary radically by region. For decision-makers, the message is unequivocal: business models must...

Fashion sparks growth amidst storm Goretti

The UK retail sector began the first full tracking week of 2026 with a resilient +3.76% increase in total like-for-like (LFL) sales. This growth, while measured against a solid +6.76% base from the previous year, was primarily driven by a resurgence in the fashion and homewares segments, which both recorded positive outcomes across physical and...

Fairs

Source Fashion: Euromonitor talks redrawing of global trade in apparel and footwear

Geographical trade patterns for apparel and footwear are becoming more and more fragmented in 2026, driven by slower global growth, geopolitical uncertainty and shifting regional demand. These themes were explored during the ongoing Source Fashion trade fair in London, in a talk by Marguerite Le Rolland, global insights manager of fashion at...

UK sales growth slows in December as customers hold off for discounts

“It was a drab Christmas for retailers,” Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said in commentary on the organisation’s latest sales figures for the month of December. While total retail sales across the UK rose by 1.2 percent year-on-year, this reflected a slow down in growth for the month, which saw sales...

Fashion ignites 2026 as New Year Sales grow 17%

The UK retail sector has kicked off 2026 with an explosive start, as total like-for-like (LFL) sales climbed by +7.86% this week. This robust performance is particularly significant as it was measured against a solid +18.54% base from the same period last year, marking a triumphant transition from the conclusion of 2025 into the new year. The...

BRC: December footfall falters despite uplift in latter half

New figures from BRC-Sensormatic have revealed a notable decline in footfall for the month of December, as shoppers held off for post-Christmas sales. According to the data, total UK footfall fell 2.9 percent year-on-year (YoY), while for the three months to December, footfall decreased 2.2 percent. Compared to November, footfall was down 0.8...

UK welcomes unexpected footfall uptick in December, Boxing Day leads the way

New figures by MRI Software have shown an unexpected uptick in footfall for December, with Boxing Day driving the way. According to the platform, the month’s footfall saw the “biggest annual boost since 2011”, with visits up 1.3 percent year-on-year. MRI said activity was driven by a surge in evening and night-time activity (+5.3 percent after...

Festive footfall buffers fashion as in-store sales outpace online

The final week of 2025 brought a modest +0.35% increase in total like-for-like (LFL) sales, a resilient result considering it was measured against a massive +11.30% base from the previous year. In a week dominated by the Christmas and Boxing Day bank holidays, the UK retail sector saw a clear divide: physical stores thrived on festive footfall,...

Festive footfall sees YoY uptick as activity intensifies ahead of Christmas

New figures by MRI Software have shown a year-on-year increase in footfall across all UK retail destinations as shopping activity intensified ahead of a later Christmas Day. According to the platform, footfall rose 3.9 percent compared to the same week last year, despite declining 12.8 percent week-on-week, reflecting the disruption of Christmas...