Retail sales volumes in Great Britain declined in February 2026, reversing some of the gains recorded at the start of the year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Sales volumes fell by 0.4% month-on-month (MoM) in February, following a revised increase of 2% in January and a 0.1% rise in December 2025.
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Despite the monthly decline, the broader trend remained positive.
Over the three months to February 2026, sales volumes were up 0.7% compared with the three months to November 2025, and 2.5% higher than the same period a year earlier.
However, volumes were still slightly below pre-pandemic levels, standing 0.3% lower than in February 2020.
Growth over the three months was partly driven by non-store retailers, particularly online channels, which reported strong performance in December and January.
Retailers highlighted increased demand for products such as video games, wine, sports supplements and sports clothing during that time.
Non-food stores also recorded a 0.5% rise over the three months, supported by gains in categories including commercial art galleries.
Monthly declines were observed across multiple segments.
Supermarket sales volumes retreated after a rise in January while household goods stores reported weaker demand, which retailers attributed to wetter weather conditions.
Non-store retailers also experienced a slight drop in February, with feedback indicating that some consumers had brought forward purchases to January to take advantage of discounting.
Online spending continued to show growth overall.
Values increased by 1.9% over the three months to February 2026 compared with the previous three-month period, and by 12.1% year-on-year (YoY).
Monthly online sales rose by 0.6% in February and increased by 11.4% compared to the same month last year.
Total retail spending, combining both in-store and online activity, declined by 0.3% over the month.
Meanwhile, the proportion of sales conducted online edged up to 28.2% in February from 28.0% in January.
Overall, while February saw a modest contraction in retail sales volumes, the three-month trajectory remained in growth territory, supported by earlier strength in online and non-food retail categories.
