Britain’s retailers limped to the end of 2025 after a lacklustre Christmas trading period, with non-food sales failing to deliver the seasonal boost many high street businesses were relying on.
New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) show overall retail sales rose by just 1.2% in December compared with a year earlier — well below the 12-month average growth rate of 2.3%. While food sales proved resilient, demand for non-food items such as clothing, electronics and gifting products fell flat at the most critical time of the year.
Non-food sales slipped by 0.3% year on year in December, a sharp reversal from the 4.4% growth recorded in the same month in 2024. Retailers cited mild, wet weather, weak consumer confidence and heavy discounting as key factors behind the disappointing performance.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, described the trading period as a “drab Christmas”, noting that sales growth has now slowed for the fourth consecutive month.
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