Core retail sales in the United Kingdom fell by 0.4% month-over-month in February 2026, marking a sharp reversal from January’s solid 2.0% increase. The latest data, updated on 27 March 2026, indicate that consumer spending momentum weakened after a strong start to the year.
On a month-over-month basis, February’s decline follows a comparison framework where the current reading reflects the change from January to February, while the previous figure captured the change from December 2025 to January 2026. The move from a robust positive reading to a modest contraction suggests that underlying retail demand cooled notably as the first quarter progressed, potentially tempering earlier optimism about the strength of UK consumer activity.
