British Retail Sales Volumes Rise 0.5 Percent in August While Fuel Volumes Fall on Higher Pump Prices
Retail sales volumes in Great Britain rose 0.5 percent in August from July and were 2.4 percent above August 2025, the Office for National Statistics said on 18 September, recovering a fall of 0.5 percent in July. June was revised down to a rise of 0.6 percent from 0.7 percent. Over the 3 months to August volumes were 0.9 percent higher than in the 3 months to May and 2.4 percent higher than a year earlier, and total volumes including fuel reached their second highest level since April 2022, just below June.
Fuel is the one category going the other way
Fuel sales volumes fell over the 3 months to August and fell again over the month as prices rose sharply. Retailers told the statisticians that consumer habits may be changing in response to high prices, with some motorists only partially filling their tanks. The same series had risen in March, which retailers attributed to motorists stocking up because of the conflict in the Middle East, then fallen in April as motorists made fewer journeys and delayed filling their tanks while prices rose.
Elsewhere the month was better. Non-food stores volumes rose 0.6 percent, with department stores recovering from a July fall the trade attributed to stock availability and clothing stores recovering from a July fall attributed to promotions having pulled sales into June. Non-store retailers, which the bulletin describes as mostly online retailers, also partially recovered from July.
| Measure | Change | Period |
|---|---|---|
| All retailing | 0.5% | August on July |
| All retailing | 2.4% | August on August 2025 |
| All retailing | 0.9% | 3 months to August on 3 months to May |
| Non-food stores | 0.6% | August on July |
| Non-food stores | 0.2% | 3 months to August on 3 months to May |
Seasonally adjusted sales volumes, Great Britain. The statistical office cautions that monthly growth rates can be volatile and should be read alongside the 3 month measure.
Online share reaches 28.8 percent
The amount spent online rose 2.5 percent over the month to August after a fall of 4.2 percent in July, and was 8.9 percent above August 2025. Over the 3 months to August online values were 1.9 percent higher than in the 3 months to May and 10.1 percent higher than a year earlier. Total spend, in store and online together, rose 1.3 percent over the month, and the online share of sales moved from 28.4 percent in July to 28.8 percent in August, a rise of 0.4 of a percentage point on our calculation.
Food stores did well across the 3 months, with supermarkets strong in both July and August. Retailers selling alcohol and beverages performed well through all 3 months, which they put down to promotions, hot weather and the World Cup.
What the survey caught
The response rate for August was 56.7 percent based on returned forms, 2.8 percentage points below the average of the past 12 months, though the responses accounted for 92.3 percent of total turnover coverage of the sample population, 5.8 percentage points above the 12 month average. The index was also re-referenced with this release, from 2023 equals 100 to 2024 equals 100, which does not affect growth rates.
Why it matters: For the UK, the split inside the August number is the story. Volumes rose 0.5 percent in the month even as fuel volumes fell, which on our reading means households kept buying elsewhere while paying more at the pump, rather than cutting back across the board. The 2.4 percent annual rise is the same on the month and on the 3 month view, so the recovery is not a single month’s bounce.
Outlook: Data consistent with the 2026 national accounts revision arrive first in the quarterly national accounts for April to June on 30 September, and the annual accounts follow on 30 October. The statistical office is also consulting on the release times of market sensitive economic statistics until 30 October.
Sources: Office for National Statistics.
