Statistical bulletin: retail sales, December 2013
This bulletin presents estimates of the quantity bought and amount spent in the retail industry for the period 24 November 2013 to 28 December 2013. Unless otherwise stated, the estimates in this release are seasonally adjusted.
Key points:
– Year-on-year estimates of the quantity bought in the retail industry showed strong growth in December 2013, increasing by 5.3% compared with December 2012. Comparing the 12 months of 2013 with the 12 months of 2012 the quantity bought in 2013 increased by 1.6% compared with 2012.
– Non-seasonally adjusted data show that small stores experienced higher growth year-on-year than large stores with the amount spent in small stores increasing by 8.1% compared with 2.6% in large stores. Non-food stores provided the main contribution to the growth in the amount spent at small stores.
– The underlying pattern in the data as suggested by the three month-on-three month movement show much weaker growth (0.4%) than suggested by the year-on-year increase (5.3%). Contractions in the quantity bought in food stores and petrol stations continued to offset growth in the quantity bought in non-food stores and non-store retailing.
– On the month the picture is one of strong growth with the quantity bought increasing by 2.6%. All store types saw an increase in the quantity bought but perhaps most notable is the record month-on-month increase in the quantity bought at department stores of 8.7%.
– In December 2013, the amount spent in the retail industry increased by 6.1% compared with December 2012 and by 2.6% compared with November 2013. Non-seasonally adjusted data show that the average weekly spend in the retail industry in December 2013 was £8.8bn compared with £8.5bn in December 2012 and £7.5bn in November 2013.
– Internet sales, which are seasonally adjusted for the first time in this release, increased by 11.8% in December 2013 compared with December 2012 and by 1.8% compared with November 2013.
– Non-seasonally adjusted data show that the proportion of sales made online decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 11.8% of all retail sales (excluding automotive fuel).
