UK retail sales volume down 0.1% QoQ, up 0.8% YoY in quarter to Aug

UK retail sales volume was estimated to have fallen by 0.1 per cent quarter on quarter (QoQ) and increased by 0.8 per cent year on year (YoY) in the three months to August this year, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). Sales in non-store retailing and clothing stores rose.

The QoQ drop was a slowing in the rate of decline when compared with the 0.6 per cent QoQ fall in the three months to July.

UK retail sales volume was estimated to have fallen by 0.1 per cent quarter on quarter (QoQ) and risen by 0.8 per cent YoY in the quarter to August.
Sales in non-store retailing and clothing stores rose.
Sales volumes rose by 0.5 per cent month on month (MoM) in August; it rose by 0.7 per cent YoY.
The amount spent online rose by 2 per cent QoQ and 3.4 per cent YoY in the quarter to August.

Sales volumes rose by 0.5 per cent month on month (MoM) in August 2025 following a 0.5-per cent MoM rise in July; it rose by 0.7 per cent YoY. Clothing stores and non-store retailing grew in August, which some retailers attributed to the good weather, am ONS release said.

August marked the third consecutive period of monthly growth this year, but volumes did not quite return to their recent March 2025 peak.

The amount spent online rose by 2 per cent QoQ and 3.4 per cent YoY in the quarter to August 2025. Online sales values rose by 0.4 per cent MoM and 4.7 per cent YoY in August.

Total spend—the sum of in-store and online sales—rose by 0.6 per cent MoM in the month. As a result, the proportion of sales made online showed little change, falling from 27.7 per cent in July to 27.6 per cent in August 2025.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)