Retail sales drop by volume as cost-of-living crisis continues

16th September 2022

// Retail sales drop by volume as the cost-of-living crisis continues

// Volume was down 5% as all retail’s main sectors took a hit in August

Retail sales have dropped by volume year-on-year in August after the cost-of-living crisis led to a change in shopping habits.

Retail sales excluding motor fuel advanced 3.7% by value, according to the ONS.

However, volume was down 5% as all retail’s main sectors took a hit over the month.

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Month on month, retailers suffered a 1.4% decline by value and volume slid 1.6%.

Food stores, non-food shops and non-store retail – primarily online – were all down over the month for the first time since July 2021.

Food store volumes dropped 0.8% in August, leaving them 1.4% below pre-Covid levels in February 2020.

Non-food stores’ volumes fell 1.9% over the month as every subsector declined.

Meanwhile, department stores dropped 2.7%, household goods stores were down 1.1% and clothing stores down 0.6%.

Non-store retail volumes fell 2.6% in August but were still 24.4% above February 2020.

General Retail Research

cost of living ONS retail sales

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General Retail Research

16th September 2022

Sahar Nazir

// Retail sales drop by volume as the cost-of-living crisis continues

// Volume was down 5% as all retail’s main sectors took a hit in August

Retail sales have dropped by volume year-on-year in August after the cost-of-living crisis led to a change in shopping habits.

Retail sales excluding motor fuel advanced 3.7% by value, according to the ONS.

However, volume was down 5% as all retail’s main sectors took a hit over the month.

Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free

Month on month, retailers suffered a 1.4% decline by value and volume slid 1.6%.

Food stores, non-food shops and non-store retail – primarily online – were all down over the month for the first time since July 2021.

Food store volumes dropped 0.8% in August, leaving them 1.4% below pre-Covid levels in February 2020.

Non-food stores’ volumes fell 1.9% over the month as every subsector declined.

Meanwhile, department stores dropped 2.7%, household goods stores were down 1.1% and clothing stores down 0.6%.

Non-store retail volumes fell 2.6% in August but were still 24.4% above February 2020.

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