Retail sales: Economic indicators

Economic indicators are quick-read summaries of the latest data focusing on different aspects of the UK economy. The full suite of indicators can be found on the main Economic Indicators page.

In April 2026, retail sales in Great Britain totalled £9.3 billion per week, down from £9.4 billion in March. This figure includes money spent in shops, supermarkets, in petrol stations and online.

Between March and April, the total quantity of retail sales volumes fell by 1.3%, following an increase of 0.6% between February and March.

In the three months to April 2026, the volume of sales increased by 1.1% compared with the same period last year. The volume of sales rose by 0.5% in the three months to April 2026 compared with the previous three months. The sales volumes were down 1.7% in April 2026 compared to February 2020 and pre-pandemic levels.

Sales in food stores increased by 0.8% in April compared to March. Sales in non-food stores, which includes department, clothing and household goods stores, fell by 1.0% between March and April. Sales in clothing stores fell by 2.4% to their lowest level since June 2025. Feedback from retailers attributed this fall to variable weather conditions, as well as lower demand and increased consumer price sensitivity. Non-store sales also fell, which retailers attributed to reduced demand, as well as unpredictable weather, which negatively affected seasonal campaigns.

The average weekly value of internet sales was £2.7 billion in April 2026 (excluding fuel). This was 28.1% of all retail sales. Internet sales as a proportion of all retail sales have been rising steadily since 2006, reaching around 19% of all sales in 2019. Internet sales rose sharply in April 2020 with the onset of the pandemic.

Next updates

This page is updated when new data is published. The next source updates will be:

• ONS, Retail Sales, 19 June 2026