United Kingdom Cbi Distributive Trades

Last Release

Jun 30, 2025

Actual

-46

Units In

Net Balance

-27

Frequency

Monthly

Next Release

Jul 29, 2025

Time to Release

1 Months 0 Days 11 Hours

Highest	Lowest	Average	Date Range	Source
72 Jul 1984	-55 Dec 2008	15.18 Net Balance	1983-2025	Confederation of British Industry

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Distributive Trades Survey (DTS) measures the health of the retail sector. The reading is compiled from a survey of about 150 retail and wholesale companies. It includes measures of sales activity across the distributive trades. It is a leading indicator of consumer spending. The figure is the difference between the percentage of retailers reporting an increase in sales and those reporting a decrease.

Latest Updates

The Confederation of British Industry's retail sales gauge for the UK fell sharply to -46 in June 2025 from -27 in May, marking the ninth consecutive monthly decline and well below forecasts of -32. A further drop is expected in July (-49%). Sales for the time of year were also seen as poor (-37%), and are forecast to stay below seasonal norms next month (-38%). Online sales rose slightly (+6%), though slower than May’s growth, and are expected to grow modestly again in July (+8%). Wholesale sales fell year-on-year (-34%), but at a slower rate than in May, while motor trade sales also declined (-37%). Orders placed with suppliers dropped at the fastest pace since December 2023 (-51%) and are expected to fall further (-53%). Stock levels in relation to expected demand rose to +26%, above the long-run average.