The later timing of Black Friday in 2024, which fell into December rather than November, had a notable impact on retail figures in the UK. This shift artificially lowered November's performance while boosting December's numbers, though the effect cancelled out in the ‘three months to December’ assessment.
UK total retail rose 0.7 per cent annually, with December sales up 3.2 per cent.
Non-Food declined 1.5 per cent for the year.
Experts cite weak confidence and highlight AI's role for 2025.
For 2024, UK total retail sales increased by 0.7 per cent compared to 2023, while non-food sales declined by 1.5 per cent year-on-year. During the Golden Quarter, covering the three months to December, sales growth was 0.4 per cent compared to the same period in 2023. December alone saw a remarkable 3.2 per cent increase in UK total retail sales year-on-year, outperforming the 1.9 per cent growth recorded in December 2023. This exceeded the three-month average growth of 0.4 per cent and the 12-month average growth of 0.7 per cent,British Retail Consortium (BRC) said in a media release.
Non-Food sales in December grew by 4.4 per cent year-on-year, reversing a 2.1 per cent decline in December 2023, surpassing both the three-month average decline of 1.1 per cent and the 12-month average decline of 1.5 per cent. In-store non-food sales increased by 0.4 per cent year-on-year in December, a sharp turnaround from the 2.9 per cent decline seen in December 2023, and outperformed the three-month and 12-month averages, which showed declines of 2.4 per cent and 2.2 per cent, respectively.
Online non-food sales surged by 11.1 per cent year-on-year in December, reversing a 0.8 per cent decline in December 2023. This figure exceeded the three-month average growth of 1.2 per cent and the 12-month average decline of 0.4 per cent. The online penetration rate for non-food items rose to 39.6 per cent in December from 37.2 per cent in December 2023, well above the 12-month average of 36.6 per cent.
“Following a challenging year marked by weak consumer confidence and difficult economic conditions, the crucial ‘golden quarter’ failed to give 2024 the send-off retailers were hoping for. Non-food was particularly hard-hit, with sales contracting from the previous year,” said Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium.
“With Black Friday falling as late as it did, this year it was part of the Christmas shopping season even more so than in previous years. December, coupled with Black Friday week at the end of November, delivered welcome sales growth for retailers. However, sales growth during the golden quarter of October to December was minimal. In 2025, we will see retailers increasingly utilising customer data and AI technology to deliver increased personalisation when it comes to targeting products and offers to their current, and potential, customers,” Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer, retail & leisure, KPMG, said.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)