British retail sales defy forecasts with surprise August rise Retail UK retail sales unexpectedly rose in August, defying forecasts of a decline. Despite renewed pressure from higher fuel prices, hot weather drove a strong rebound in both online shopping and department store sales. Economists had expected sales to fall 0.2 per cent but sales volumes rose 0.5 per cent during the month, reversing a 0.5 [...]
Retail sales slow as heatwave boost cools Retail The heatwave boost fuelling summer sales cooled last month, as Brits cut back on retail spending to deal with rising bills. Retail sales grew by 0.7 per cent in the year to August, marking a significant slowdown compared to 3.1 per cent growth in August 2025, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). August’s rate [...]
Brits dodge the high street as heatwave boosts online shopping Retail Retail sales jumped in June as the heatwave and heavy discounting drove Brits towards online shopping. The volume of retail sales jumped by one per cent in June, having slowed slightly from 1.2 per cent growth in May, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Online shopping grew to the largest proportion of total [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump as oil drops below $100; Trump in tariff blitz July 24, 2026 Welcome back to the City AM FTSE 100 liveblog. Stocks jumped on Friday after oil eased back after reaching two-month highs on Thursday. The benchmark price of Brent crude oil slipped 4.1 per cent on Friday to $96.63 per barrel. Prices had surged to $100 following attacks by the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia based in Yemen, on [...]
Heatwave boost for retailers as Brits snapped up BBQs and fans June 9, 2026 The late-May heatwave offered a much-needed boost for retailers as the hot weather prompted red-hot spending on barbecues, fans and sandals. Retail sales in the UK jumped by 3.7 per cent year on year in May, soaring above the full-year average of two per cent, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). Many Brits opted [...]
Retail sales plummet as Iran war hits consumer confidence May 22, 2026 Retail sales plummeted by 1.3 per cent in April, as Brits cut back on spending amid increasing pressure from the war in Iran. The huge fall in retail sales volumes in April was the largest since May last year and defied economists’ forecasts of a softer drop. This comes after a 0.6 per cent rise in [...]
As it happened: Stocks jump on peace hopes; Reeves hit by falling retail sales and surge in borrowing May 22, 2026 Good morning and welcome back to the City AM liveblog. Oil prices remain volatile and heightened as peace talks in the Middle East continue to run into stumbling blocks. Brent crude futures were up to $104 this morning following reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader was ordering for the nation’s enriched uranium reserves to remain in [...]
Retail sales jump as motorists stock up on fuel April 24, 2026 Retailers saw a much-needed sales boost in the last month as Brits rushed to stock up on fuel amid fears that the Iran war could choke global supplies. Total retail sales were up 0.7 per cent in March, compared to a 0.6 fall in February, as fuel sales rose sharply by more than six per [...]
High street spending gets ‘much-needed boost’ but cost alert sent to shoppers April 14, 2026 High street spending in March remained robust though travel companies suffered from holidaymakers’ fears about organising a trip to the Middle East, research has suggested. Retail surveys have suggested that high street shops were boosted by shoppers’ Easter hunt for food, computers and toys last month. Research by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) suggested that [...]
Retail sales fall as Brits cut back on supermarket spending March 27, 2026 Retail sales fell in February, as low spending in food and household goods stores could not offset the strong performance of online sellers. The quantity of goods bought in February fell by 0.4 per cent, down from the surprise two per cent rise in January, which was revised up from 1.8 per cent, according to [...]