United Kingdom Retail Sales Mom

Retail sales in the UK rose by 0.4% month-over-month in March 2025, defying forecasts of a 0.4% decline, following a downwardly revised 0.7% increase in the previous month. Sales in non-food stores increased by 1.7%, reaching its highest level since March 2022. Clothing stores saw the strongest growth (+3.7%), with retailers attributing the boost to favorable weather. Other non-food stores also saw a gain (+2.4%), particularly in second-hand goods stores and retailers selling garden supplies. Meanwhile, food store sales declined by 1.3%. Excluding fuel, retail sales grew by 0.5% from a month earlier. On a yearly basis, retail sales climbed 2.6%, exceeding forecasts and February’s 1.8% increase. For the first quarter, retail trade rose by 1.6%, marking the largest three-month increase since July 2021.