Fri, 23 Jan 2026

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 Demand for online jewellery boosts December retail sales

Sales rose by more than expected, but it remained a difficult festive period for many retailers.
Retail Sales Figures
* Retail sales up 0.4% in December compared to previous month
* Online jewellers reported increased demand for precious metals such as gold and silver
* Internet shopping performed well, with a small rise in supermarket sales and automotive fuel sales
* Non-food retailers, including department stores, clothing, and household stores, saw sales down 0.9% Annual Sales Figures
* Retail sales up 1.3% in 2025 compared to previous year
* Stronger performances for both food and non-food stores, and non-store retailers (mainly online sellers)
* Still below pre-coronavirus pandemic levels of 2019 Expert Commentary
* ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach: "The last three months of the year saw a slight drop in retail sales... However, sales were up in December, with internet retailing doing well."
* Nicholas Hyett, investment manager at Wealth Club: "There was no festive cheer on the high street" as Christmas shoppers increasingly turned online
* Alice Cowley, managing director at Accenture: "The modest monthly rise in UK retail sales would bring some relief after a difficult autumn"
* Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK: "We remain a long way from consumers feeling that better days are around the corner" Economic Outlook
* Capital Economics expects consumer spending to remain "fairly soft" over coming year
* UK economist Alex Kerr at Capital says weak employment and slower wage growth will prevent meaningful pick-up in consumer spending growth in 2026.
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