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 January 2012

BRC-KPMG RETAIL SALES MONITOR JANUARY 2012: CUSTOMERS SIGNAL TOUGH YEAR AHEAD

UK retail sales values were down 0.3% on a like-for-like basis from January 2011, when sales had risen 2.3%, picking up after December 2010's snow disruption. On a total basis, sales were up 2.1%, against a 4.2% increase in January 2011. On both measures it was the second-worst January, after January 2010, since the survey began in 1995

Food sales slowed sharply after their Christmas boost. Non-food also weakened and any gains were largely driven by widespread heavy discounting in clearance sales. For clothing, footwear and homewares, January was worse than December, especially for larger purchases, hit by consumer caution.

Non-food non-store (internet, mail-order and phone) sales growth slowed again after picking up sharply in December. Sales were 11.3% up on a year ago, less than December's 18.5% gain but similar to the 12.3% in January 2011

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