Online retailer and financial services provider The Very Group reported resilient Christmas and Black Friday trading periods, with growth in its flagship Very UK brand supported by strong sales in higher-margin categories including Home, Toys and Beauty.
For the six weeks to 27 December 2025, Very UK delivered retail sales growth of 1.9% year on year.
Home was a standout performer, growing 7.9%, while Toys and Beauty increased 6.4%, reflecting continued consumer demand for gifting and lifestyle products during the peak trading period.
However, at group level, including Littlewoods and Very Ireland, retail sales declined slightly by 0.4% year on year over the six-week period.
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Black Friday proved particularly strong, marking the Group’s best trading day since the pandemic.
The best-selling items by sales value included the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and the Ninja Home Barista Bundle, while high-volume sellers were led by Jimmy Choo and Calvin Klein perfumes, Meta Quest 3S and Beauty Works gift sets. Coffee machines and beauty gift sets also performed well.
Robbie Feather, group CEO at The Very Group, said: “We know that Christmas is one of the most important times of the year for the families we serve and, here at Very, we’re proud to have been able to help customers make the season extra special.
“By bringing together our great assortment of products, competitive prices and flexible ways to pay, we’ve delivered a strong performance during the Christmas and Black Friday trading period.”
Operationally, the peak period placed heavy demands on fulfilment, with the Group highlighting record throughput at its Skygate automated distribution centre. On 28 November, Skygate processed 209,000 items, the busiest day of the peak and the Group’s strongest trading day since Covid.
During Black Friday week, more than 3m items were processed, compared with last year’s busiest week of 1.2m items. The fastest order during peak was processed and despatched in just 15 minutes.
Feather added: “Despite a challenging and competitive market, we’re delighted to see topline growth with Very UK sales increasing +1.9%, which includes a strong performance across Home, Toys and Beauty. Plus, we’re pleased to have been able to give more customers the flexibility to spread the cost this Christmas.
“Our results over the period reflect the appeal to our customers of our multi-category retail and flexible payments offering.”
The Group maintained next-day delivery throughout the peak trading period, with a 7pm cut-off on 23 December for pre-Christmas delivery.
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