Online sales saw an uptick during the February as poor weather impacted physical store visits. Credit: Rawpixel.com via Shutterstock.com.

UK retail sales volumes experienced stagnation in February 2024, with no growth reported following a 3.6% surge in January, according to the Office for National Statistics retail sales index.  

This flat performance contrasts with the broader trend of a 0.4% decline in late 2023 and early 2024 and a 1% decrease compared to the same period last year. 

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During February 2024 non-food stores saw a modest increase of 0.7% in sales volumes, although there was a 0.5% drop over the year.  

Sales in textile clothing and footwear stores enjoyed a 1.7% monthly rise, attributed to new collections and promotional activities.  

Department stores and other non-food retailers also witnessed growth, with increases of 1.6% and 0.4% respectively over the month. 

But sales volumes in household goods stores reported a 1% decrease, with the economic climate and adverse weather conditions cited as contributing factors.  

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Despite gains in clothing and department stores, overall growth was offset by declines in food stores and fuel retailers.  

Food stores experienced a 0.3% drop in sales volumes in February 2024, continuing the trend from December 2023’s significant fall.  

The decline was attributed to poor weather affecting customer footfall.  

Online sales, especially for clothing, saw an uptick as poor weather impacted physical store visits. 

Over the month, online spending values rose by 2.1%, the largest monthly increase since July 2023. 

Clothing retailers reported robust online sales, while department stores and household goods stores were the only sectors to see a decline in sales values over the month. 

This growth in online transactions increased the proportion of sales made online, from 25.1% in January 2024 to 25.7% in February 2024. 

Automotive fuel sales volumes decreased by 1.3% in February 2024, coinciding with a slight rise in fuel prices. 

The latest quarterly distributive trades survey by the Confederation of British Industry revealed that UK retail sales fell by 7% in February 2024, a significant improvement from the 50% recorded in January.