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UK retail sales pick up in January

Feb 13, 2026 United Kingdom

UK total retail sales rose by 2.7% in January, according to the BRC, surpassing the 12-month average of 2.3%. Post-Christmas discounts boosted spending on both food and in-store items

“A drab December gave way to a brighter January as retail sales picked up pace. Many shoppers had held off Christmas spending and waited for the January sales, with the start of the new year showing the strongest growth”, commented Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

According to data revelead by the retail orgnisation, total retail sales in the UK increased by 2.7% year-on-year in January, as compared to growth of 2.6% in January 2025. This figure was higher than the 12-month average growth rate of 2.3%.

Food sales increased by 3.8% year-on-year in January, accelerating from 2.8% a year earlier and remaining consistent with the 12-month average of 3.8%. By contrast, non-food sales grew by 1.7%, which was slower than in January 2025, but still outperformed the sector’s weaker 12-month average of 1.1%.

Dickinson highlighted that the “bargain hunting was not limited to online, with in-store sales showing the highest growth in over six months”.

During this period, in-store non-food sales increased by 2.0% year-on-year, which is slower than the 2.6% recorded a year earlier, but still above the 12-month average of 0.9%. Online non-food sales saw a 1.3% uptick, down from 2.2% in January 2025 and just below the 12-month average of 1.4%, suggesting a somewhat slower pace in the digital channel.

Image Credits: cnbc.com

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