United Kingdom BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY

UK retail sales rose 1.2% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in November 2025, the slowest pace in six months as consumers cautiously awaited finance minister Rachel Reeves’ budget and Black Friday sales underwhelmed. Food sales growth eased to 3.0% from 3.5% in October, though still above the 2.2% increase recorded in November 2024. Non-food sales inched up 0.1% for a second month, a sharp improvement from the 7.9% decline seen a year earlier. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “Pre-budget jitters among shoppers meant the month of Black Friday did not deliver as strongly as retailers had hoped or the economy needed. Sales growth was the weakest in six months, despite the elevated inflation. Not unexpectedly, online dominated, with the proportion of non-food bought online reaching its highest level since 2022.”