Core retail sales in the United Kingdom strengthened notably at the start of 2026, with year-over-year growth rising to 5.5% in January. This marks a clear acceleration from December 2025, when core retail sales were up 3.1% compared with the same month a year earlier. The latest figures were updated on 20 February 2026.
The data are based on year-over-year comparisons, measuring how much core retail sales changed in January 2026 versus January 2025, and similarly comparing December 2025 with December 2024. The move from 3.1% to 5.5% suggests a solid improvement in underlying consumer spending momentum, excluding more volatile components, as the new year began.
Market participants and analysts are likely to read this acceleration as a sign of resilience in UK consumer demand. The stronger core sales performance could factor into expectations for economic growth and monetary policy, as it provides an updated snapshot of household spending power and confidence heading into 2026.
