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 July 2026, retail sales in Great Britain totalled £9.7 billion per week, up from £9.6 billion in June. This figure includes money spent in shops, supermarkets, in petrol stations and online.

Between June and July, the total quantity of retail sales volumes rose by 0.5%, following a rise of 0.7% between May and June.

In the three months to July 2026, the volume of sales increased by 3.0% compared with the same period last year. The volume of sales rose by 1.1% in the three months to July 2026 compared with the previous three months. The sales volumes were down 0.1% in July 2026 compared to February 2020 and pre-pandemic levels.

Sales in food stores increased by 0.5% in July compared to June, with retailers attributing this to both the weather and the World Cup. Sales in non-food stores, which includes department, clothing and household goods stores, fell by 1.3% between June and July. Clothing stores reported falls, with hot weather reducing footfall and earlier promotions bringing sales forward from July into June. Sales in household goods stores fell in July, following high sales in May and June, with department stores reporting falling sales owing to stock availability.

The average weekly value of internet sales was £2.7 billion in July 2026 (excluding fuel). This was 28.3% 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, 18 September 2026