Shock drop in retail gross sales provides to fears over economic system

Store gross sales within the UK unexpectedly fell within the run as much as Christmas attributable to a “very poor month” for meals being bought in supermarkets.

Gross sales fell by 0.3% in December, in accordance with official figures, properly under expectations of a 0.4% rise.

Meals gross sales sank to their lowest stage for greater than 10 years, however clothes retailers and malls noticed a lift in commerce.

The pound slipped to $1.216 following the announcement. The shock information provides to issues over the well being of the UK economic system.

The Labour authorities has made development its key goal, however figures launched on Thursday confirmed the economic system didn’t develop within the three months to November.

Earlier this week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged to go “additional and quicker” to enhance development with a view to enhance dwelling requirements.

Economists stated the retail gross sales figures capped off a “disappointing” finish to 2024 for the sector, in a interval companies sometimes search to take advantage of cash.

“With the chancellor beneath mounting strain to ship development, the information that retail gross sales fell in December of all months is on the very least unwelcome,” stated Danni Hewson, head of economic evaluation at AJ Bell.

“It is a essential time frame when retailers make sufficient cash to see them via these sluggish early months of the 12 months when individuals are paying off their bank card payments and considering forward to summer season solar.”

Alex Kerr, UK economist at Capital Economics, stated the worse-than-expected gross sales figures have been “additional proof that the economic system had little or no momentum on the finish of final 12 months”.

However he added: “Though the economic system clearly struggled on the finish of final 12 months, we doubt that may final.”

Whereas the weak gross sales figures hit the worth of the pound, hopes that rates of interest shall be reduce additional in February helped to push up share costs.

The FTSE 100 inventory index of the UK’s greatest publicly-listed firms touched a document excessive of 8,480 on Friday morning.

The blow to retail final month was pushed by a drop in gross sales volumes in supermarkets, however butchers and bakers, together with alcohol and tobacco/vaping retailers additionally struggled, in accordance with Hannah Finselbach, senior statistician on the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics.

In distinction, clothes and shoe retailers noticed gross sales rise by 4.4% final month, rebounding from falls in November and October and reflecting the bounce in spending pre-Christmas.

Many companies have criticised measures introduced within the Finances, which can see a rise within the price of Nationwide Insurance coverage paid by employers and a discount within the threshold they begin paying it from April. The minimal wage can also be going up.

The boss of Subsequent, Lord Wolfson, instructed the BBC the adjustments may make it “tougher for folks to enter the workforce”.

Lisa Hooker, chief of trade for shopper markets at PwC, stated 2025 was more likely to see the return of “larger value inflation as retailers cross on the rising price of doing enterprise”.