UK retail sales climb in April, online performance mixed

UK retail sales volumes saw a fourth consecutive monthly rise in April, increasing by 1.2%, as consumers continued to spend despite economic uncertainties.

However, the picture for online sales was more varied, according to Parcelhero, the home delivery company.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) retail sales bulletin for April revealed that not only did the volume of goods purchased by Britons climb, but the total amount spent (sales values) also increased by 0.7% compared to March.

David Jinks, Head of Consumer Research at Parcelhero, commented on the resilience of consumers:

“Once again, Brits shrugged off economic concerns including the introduction of measures announced in the last Budget such as the rise in employers’ National Insurance contributions and Trump’s tariffs. This 1.2% rise in sales volumes over March is a strong result.”

He added that sales volumes were up a “whopping 5% year-on-year” over April 2024’s results, reaching their highest level since July 2022.

Food stores were a significant driver of this growth, with their sales volumes increasing by an impressive 3.9% in April, a rise attributed by retailers to favorable weather conditions.

However, the outlook for e-commerce retailers and sellers was more nuanced. While sales volumes for non-store retailers (primarily online-only) saw a 0.5% increase, suggesting continued growth despite the sunny weather encouraging high street shopping, there was a slight dip in online spending values.

The amount Britons spent online fell by 0.3%. A notable decline of 5.9% in sales values was observed for “other non-food stores,” a category that includes online non-food retailers outside of department stores, fashion, and household goods. Despite this, year-on-year online sales values for this category still rose by 6.1% compared to April 2024.

Jinks concluded that these were “a surprisingly good set of results for retailers both on the High Street and online.” He noted that analysts’ consistent predictions of a consumer spending slowdown have not yet materialized, with a “heady mix of competitive retail offers and spring sunshine” keeping consumers engaged.

The balance between online and High Street sales remained largely stable, with online sales accounting for 26.8% of the total retail market in April, a fractional decrease from 27.1% in March.