Retail sales, Great Britain: April 2026

The quantity of goods bought (volume) in retail sales is estimated to have risen by 0.5% in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026. Non-food stores’ sales volumes grew, with cosmetics and toiletries stores rising for their fourth consecutive month, and computer and telecoms retailers showing sustained performance following product releases in March 2026. Non-store retailers also performed well over the three months to April 2026.

Retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 1.3% in April 2026, following a rise of 0.6% in March 2026 (revised down from a 0.7% rise in our previous bulletin), and a fall of 0.8% in February 2026 (revised down from a 0.6% fall in our previous bulletin). Fuel volumes fell in April as some retailers suggested that motorists were conserving fuel. This followed strong March growth, with retailers reporting that motorists stocked up as prices rose.

Total retail sales, excluding automotive fuel, fell by 0.4% on the month. Both clothing and non-store retailers were down compared with March 2026, which retailers attributed to variable weather and lower demand.

Sales volumes rose by 0.5% in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026. Sales volumes were 1.1% higher than in the three months to April 2025.

Sales volumes fell by 1.3% over the month during April 2026, following a rise of 0.6% in March 2026. When excluding automotive fuel from the total, volumes fell by 0.4% over the month to April 2026.

Sales volumes (including automotive fuel) were flat (0.0%) over the year to April 2026.

Volumes fell by 1.7% compared with their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level in February 2020.

These data are available in our Retail Sales Index dataset.

Easter Monday (6 April 2026) was included in the reporting period for April 2026, which covered 5 April 2026 to 2 May 2026, but Good Friday (3 April 2026) was in the March 2026 release. Both Good Friday and Easter Monday were included in the April 2025 release. This shift is accounted for in our seasonal adjustment.

Sales volumes rose by 0.5% in the three months to April 2026, compared with the three months to January 2026. Other non-food stores performed well as retailers of cosmetic and toilet articles rose for their fourth consecutive month, with mention of new product releases in March 2026. Computer and telecom retailers were also up, with sustained sales following product releases in March 2026. Non-store retailers (who are mainly online) rose following a poor November 2025 period, with boosts to March 2026 during the spring sales and new product releases.

Sales volumes fell by 1.3% over the month to April 2026, the largest monthly fall since May 2025. Automotive fuel sales fell by 10.2%, the largest monthly fall since November 2020. Retailers suggested that motorists were making fewer journeys and were delaying filling their vehicle fuel tanks while prices rose. This followed a spike in March 2026, with many retailers reporting that motorists had stocked up after the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East.

All retail, excluding automotive fuel, fell by 0.4% over the month. Non-food stores (the total of department, clothing, household, and other non-food stores) fell by 1.0%. Clothing stores fell by 2.4% over the month, which clothing retailers attributed to variable weather conditions during the month, alongside lower demand and increased consumer price sensitivity. Sales volumes for clothing stores were, therefore, at their lowest level since June 2025. Non-store retailers also fell on the month, which retailers said was because of reduced demand, as well as unpredictable weather, negatively affecting seasonal campaigns.

The amount spent online, known as “online spending values”, rose by 2.2% when comparing the three months to April 2026 with the three months to January 2026. It rose by 9.3% when comparing the same period with the three months to April 2025.

Within the monthly series, online sales values fell by 2.3% over the month to April 2026. They rose by 6.6% when comparing April 2026 with April 2025.

The total spend (the sum of in-store and online sales) rose by 0.1% over the month. As a result, the proportion of sales made online fell from 28.7% in March 2026 to 28.1% in April 2026.

For April 2026, the Retail Sales Index (RSI) survey response rates were 60.5% based on returned forms, which is 0.4 percentage points below the average of the past 12 months. This accounted for 82.2% of total turnover coverage of the sample population, 5.9 percentage points below the average of the past 12 months. Historical response information is available in our Retail sales quality tables dataset.

Information on how we calculated the data, including strengths and limitations, and a glossary of relevant terms, is available in our Retail Sales Index quality and methodology information (QMI) report.

Seasonal adjustment

Seasonally adjusted estimates are derived by estimating and removing calendar effects (for example, Easter moving between March and April), and seasonal effects (for example, increased spending in December because of Christmas) from the non-seasonally adjusted estimates.

We use the X-13ARIMA-SEATS approach to seasonal adjustment. Seasonal adjustment parameters are monitored closely and are regularly reviewed. More information is available on our Seasonal adjustment methodology.

Seasonal adjustment is applied at the industry level, and the seasonally adjusted series are aggregated to create estimates by industry sector and total retail. As part of our quality assurance approach, residual seasonality checks are completed regularly by our time series analysis team on both the seasonally adjusted series and the indirectly derived aggregate time series. Based on current data, we find no residual seasonality in the main aggregate for monthly retail sales estimates. We have separately published our comprehensive methodology on How the Office for National Statistics (ONS) assesses statistical outputs for residual seasonality.

Accredited official statistics

These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in March 2015. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled "accredited official statistics".