British Retail Consortium

UK Retail Sales Slow After January Bounce – BRC

British consumer spending lost momentum last month after a bounce at the start of the year, the BRC reported on Tuesday.

British grocery inflation held steady last month, helped by promotions which shoppers are increasingly relying on amid cost of living worries.

British retailers will likely push up their prices ahead of higher employment costs in April, according to the British Retail Consortium.

British retailers reported a reasonable start to 2025 after a disappointing 2024 but remain concerned about rises in employment costs.

Prices in British shops fell less sharply in January than in December and food costs rose at the fastest monthly pace since April last year.

Two-thirds of British retailers will raise prices this year in response to higher costs, a survey by the BRC showed on Wednesday.

Shoppers in the UK last month saw the sharpest fall in prices in more than three years but 2025 spells a return to higher costs, the BRC said.

Black Friday spending helped lift retail sales in late 2024, the British Retail Consortium said on Tuesday.

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