Latest British Retail Consortium Retail Sales

The BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor is a benchmark of consumer spending performance which measures changes in the actual value (including VAT) of retail sales from a sample of retailers. The Monitor measures the value of spending and hence does not adjust for price changes. If prices are rising, sales volumes will increase by less than sales values. In times of price deflation, sales volumes will increase by more than sales values.

Retailers report the value of their sales for the current period and the equivalent period a year ago. These figures are reported both in total and on a ‘like-for-like’ basis. This can provide sector commentators and businesses with a valuable measure of performance, against which they can measure there own trends.


BRC Retail Sales Monitor June 2010

UK retail sales values rose 1.2% on a like-for-like basis from June 2009, when sales had picked up 1.4%, helped by the heatwave in the second half of the month. This June was slightly less hot, but sunny for most of the month. On a total basis, sales were up 3.4% against a 3.2% increase in June 2009.

Food sales growth was about the same as in May, thanks to the hot weather and World Cup. Clothing and footwear sales growth slowed, as many people had already bought in May’s sun. TVs benefited from the football and outdoor DIY and leisure improved in the sun, but at the expense of indoor homewares.

Non-food non-store sales (internet, mail-order and phone sales) in June were 17.3% higher than a year ago, down from 21.9% in May. But June’s gain was against a similar increase in June 2009, while May’s gain was against a weak May 2009.