Tag: retail sales

December retail sales up 6.2% says ONS

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released its latest figures for retail sales in December 2011. And the positive news is that sales actually enjoyed some level of growth, in contrast to an otherwise grim run up to the Christmas shopping period for the retail sector. The ONS said that retail sales for last [...]

January 20, 2012 | 0 Comments More

Retail sector mixed amid good, bad news

Retailer John Lewis reported today that sales were up 20 percent overall last week, with every single store making more money in the week than it did in the same period last year. It was good news in a sector that saw several store chains go into administration or announce major store closures during the [...]

July 1, 2011 | 0 Comments More

Debenhams helped by “lipstick effect” as cosmetics sales rise

It seems that even a low mood over economic hard times can serve to help lift the economy, at least according to department store chain Debenhams (LSE: DEB). Debenhams, Britain’s number two department store chain, has reported that its sales have been helped by what its deputy chief executive, Michael Sharp, calls the “lipstick effect”, [...]

June 30, 2011 | 0 Comments More

CBI reports UK sales volumes down in June

A new survey from the Confederation of British Industry has showed that sales volumes were lower in June. Thirty-four percent of businesses surveyed said sales volumes were down during the month, while 33 percent said they saw more sales than during June last year. While 12 percent more stores reported ales up than down over [...]

June 23, 2011 | 0 Comments More

ONS: UK retail sales down 1.4 percent in May

Retail sales in the UK were down 1.4 percent in May from April, losing all of April’s 1.1 percent gain and more, according to new figures from the Office of National Statistics. When sales of fuel is excluded from the data, sales were down even more, dropping 1.6 percent in the month. The May decline [...]

June 16, 2011 | 0 Comments More

UK retail sales fall in May

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said Tuesday that retail sales were down by 2.1 percent in May in stores open for a year or longer, over the same month last year, while sales were down 0.3 percent when newly opened stores were included in the data. Sales fell or were flat in all categories, including [...]

June 7, 2011 | 0 Comments More