Core retail sales in the United Kingdom rose sharply in January 2026, with month-on-month growth reaching 2.0%, according to data updated on 20 February 2026. This marks a substantial acceleration from December 2025, when core retail sales registered a more modest 0.3% increase compared with November.
Measured on a month-over-month basis, the latest figure indicates that consumer demand strengthened notably at the start of the year. The “actual” January result reflects the change from December 2025 to January 2026, while the “previous” December data captures the change from November to December 2025. The rebound suggests that UK retailers entered 2026 with firmer momentum after a relatively subdued end to 2025.
