Retail sales in the UK grew 1.1% in March 2025 compared to the same month of 2024. This contrasts with March 2024’s higher year-on-year growth from 2023, at 3.5%, according to a British Retail Consortium-KPMG survey.
The timing of Easter, which fell in April in 2025 as opposed to March in 2024, has skewed the comparison of sales figures, leading to an expected rise in April’s figures but a subdued performance for March.
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The growth in retail sales for March was not as robust as the three-month average of 1.6% but did surpass the 12-month average, which stood at 0.6%.
Over the five-week period from 2 March to 5 April, food sales saw a year-on-year increase of 1.6% in March, a significant drop from the 8.3% surge recorded in the same month of the previous year.
These figures fell short of the three-month and 12-month average growth rates of 2.3% and 2.2% respectively.
Non-food items witnessed a marginal year-on-year rise of 0.6% in March – an improvement over the slight decline of 0.4% seen in March of the previous year.
This increase was still below the three-month average growth rate of 1.1%, but exceeded the 12-month average that showed a decline of 0.8%.
Physical store sales for non-food items dipped slightly by 0.1% on a yearly basis during the month, contrasting with an increase of 0.1% during the same month of the preceding year.
This performance was weaker than the three-month average growth rate of 0.6%, but better than the annual average, which had indicated a larger decline of 1.7%.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson stated: “Despite a challenging global geopolitical landscape, the small increase in both food and non-food sales masked signs of underlying strengthening of demand given March 2025’s comparison with last year’s early Easter.
“The improving weather made for a particularly strong final week, with gardening and DIY equipment flying off the shelves. Jewellery and beauty products were helped by Mother’s Day, though sales of bigger ticket items like furniture remained weak. Retailers are making final preparations for Easter, with food expected to be the big winner next month.”
Online sales for non-food products rose 1.8% compared to 2024’s figures for March which had decreased 1.4%.
Although this growth was lower than the three-month average rate of 1.9%, it surpassed the yearly average increase of 0.9%.
The penetration rate for online non-food purchases climbed to 37.1% in March from 36.6% a year earlier, exceeding the annual average online penetration rate of 36.8%.
KPMG retail and leisure consumer UK head Linda Ellett stated: “As spring weather arrived, house and garden related purchases and gifts for Mother’s Day drove retail sales growth in March.
“Amidst downbeat consumer confidence in the UK’s economic outlook, and many households facing rising costs, retail sales growth feels an achievement. But with non-food sales only climbing around 1% on average, competition means there are some retailers really struggling whilst others win, especially online.”
Recent data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic revealed that the UK retail sector experienced a decline in footfall in March 2025 as consumer and business sentiment remained low amid persistent economic uncertainties and apprehension ahead of the UK Chancellor’s Spring Statement.
