United Kingdom Cbi Distributive Trades

Last Release

Oct 31, 2025

Actual

-27

Units In

Net Balance

-29

Frequency

Monthly

Next Release

Nov 26, 2025

Time to Release

28 Days 3 Hours

Highest	Lowest	Average	Date Range	Source
72 Jul 1984	-55 Dec 2008	14.82 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 CBI Distributive Trades Survey rose slightly to -27 in October 2025 from -29 in September, indicating UK retailers continued to report declining sales, with expectations for November worsening to -39. Despite the modest improvement, sales have now fallen for 13 consecutive months as consumer confidence remains weak. The CBI said shoppers are growing more cautious ahead of finance minister Rachel Reeves’ upcoming budget on November 26. Martin Sartorius, CBI principal economist, noted that uncertainty over fiscal policy is adding pressure on retailers still recovering from last year’s tax hikes and slow demand. He urged the government to rule out further business tax increases to restore confidence. Retailers also remain wary of planned employment rights legislation that could discourage hiring.