The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has released its 2025/26 Christmas FAQs, offering retailers a consolidated view of the issues expected to shape the festive trading period.
The briefing brings together recent retail sales trends, early forecasts for Christmas spending, and sector-specific guidance on supply chain resilience, retail crime, food safety, cost-of-living pressures and sustainability expectations.
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Retail sales trends and evolving festive spending patterns
The BRC’s latest FAQs summarise how retail sales have performed over the past year and what industry analysts expect from the upcoming festive season.
December remains the most significant trading month for retailers, with Christmas shopping typically lifting sales volumes well above annual averages.
Despite the enduring strength of seasonal demand, the sector heads into the period with mixed economic signals. Consumer confidence has been dampened by tighter household budgets, while early discount events such as Black Friday continue to shift spending earlier in the quarter.
Many consumers are now spreading purchases over several weeks, creating a less concentrated but still competitive trading window.
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By GlobalDataSupply chain pressures, crime risks and operational planning
The report sets out the operational challenges the industry is likely to face. Supply chain disruption remains a recurring concern, prompting retailers to secure stock and finalise logistics plans earlier to avoid delivery bottlenecks.
The FAQs stress the need for clear communication with customers about delivery cut-off dates to ensure festive orders arrive on time.
Retail crime is another priority area. Incidents typically rise during peak trading periods, and the BRC’s guidance outlines measures for safeguarding staff, stores and online platforms.
The document also revisits food safety requirements for businesses handling seasonal products, with a focus on maintaining compliance during periods of elevated demand.
Cost-of-living pressures and sustainability expectations
Rising living costs continue to influence how consumers shop at Christmas. According to the BRC, customers are becoming more price-sensitive, especially in essential categories such as food.
Retailers are encouraged to consider how pricing strategies, value ranges and customer support services can help shoppers manage tighter budgets.
Sustainability remains a growing expectation across the sector. The FAQs highlight demand for recyclable packaging, responsibly sourced goods and lower-impact festive products.
Retailers preparing for the season are advised to ensure that sustainability remains visible in merchandising and operational decisions.
The BRC notes that official results for Christmas and Boxing Day trading will not be published until its Retail Sales Monitor is released in January 2026.
In the meantime, the organisation’s Christmas FAQs serve as a practical reference point for businesses seeking clarity on consumer behaviour, risk management and operational planning ahead of the busiest retail period of the year.
