Story · United Kingdom · 21 Aug 2026
UK retail sales volumes fell 0.5% in July but rose over three months
Great Britain retail sales volumes fell 0.5% in July 2026, but were 1.1% higher in the three months to July than in the previous three months.
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-0.5%
Great Britain retail sales volume, July vs June 2026
+1.1%
Retail sales volume, three months to July vs three months to April 2026
+1.6%
Great Britain retail sales volume, July 2026 vs July 2025
Exam link: Economic growth → business activity and investment → output, employment and aggregate demand
Understand the storyExpand Close
ONS estimated retail sales volumes fell 0.5% in July 2026 after a revised 0.7% rise in June. Across the three months to July, sales volumes were 1.1% higher than in the three months to April and 3.0% higher than a year earlier.
What happened
Retail sales volumes fell 0.5% between June and July 2026, while July volumes were 1.6% higher than July 2025. The smoother three-month measure rose 1.1% compared with the three months to April 2026 and 3.0% compared with the three months to July 2025.
Why it matters
Retail sales volumes are a timely indicator of household demand. Stronger real spending can raise aggregate demand and output, while weaker sales can signal pressure on real incomes, confidence or borrowing-sensitive consumption.
Economic context
Monthly retail data are volatile, so the three-month trend is usually more informative than one month alone. The ONS volume measure adjusts for price changes, but retail sales still exclude much household spending on services.
All key dataExpand Close
- Great Britain retail sales volume, July vs June 2026
- -0.5%
- Three months to July 2026 vs three months to July 2025
- +3.0%
- Great Britain retail sales volume, July 2026 vs July 2025
- +1.6%
- Retail sales volume, three months to July vs three months to April 2026
- +1.1%
Use it in an examExpand Close
Evidence
Great Britain retail sales volumes fell 0.5% in July 2026, but were 1.1% higher in the three months to July than in the previous three months.
Explain
Retail sales volumes are a timely indicator of household demand. Stronger real spending can raise aggregate demand and output, while weaker sales can signal pressure on real incomes, confidence or borrowing-sensitive consumption.
Evaluate
Monthly retail data are volatile, so the three-month trend is usually more informative than one month alone. The ONS volume measure adjusts for price changes, but retail sales still exclude much household spending on services.
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