The Retailer Winter 2018/19

BRC-KPMG RSM:

BRC–KPMG RETAIL SALES MONITOR DECEMBER 2018 A MUTED END TO A TOUGH YEAR Covering the five weeks 25 November - 29 December 2018

• In December, UK retail sales decreased by 0.7% on a like-for-like basis from December 2017, when they had increased 0.6% from the preceding year. • On a total basis, sales were a flat 0.0% in December, against an increase of 1.4% in December 2017. This is the lowest growth since April, excluding Easter distortions, and below the 3-month and 12-month averages of 0.5% and 1.2% respectively. This is also the worst December performance since 2008. • Over the three months to December, In-store sales of Non-Food items declined 2.8% on a Total basis and 3.9% on a Like-for-like basis. This is below the 12-month Total average decline of 2.5%. The decline of the month was the worst since April in both Total and like-for-like terms.

• Over the three months to December, Food sales increased 0.6% on a like-for-like basis and 1.8% on a total basis. This is below the 12-month Total average growth of 3.1%, which is the lowest since September 2017. • Over the three-months to December, Non-Food retail sales in the UK decreased 1.2% on a like-for-like basis and 0.4% on a Total basis. This is below the 12-month Total average decrease of 0.3%. December Non-Food sales experienced a decline. • Online sales of Non-Food products grew 5.8% in December, against a growth of 7.6% in December 2017. This is above the 3-month average of 5.5% but below the 12-month average of 6.9%. Online penetration rate increased from 29.1% in December 2017 to 31.2% last month.

6 | winter 2019 | the retailer