Holiday 2020: UK Retail Wrap-Up—Digitally Adept Retailers Thrive; UK Retail Sales Fall in December

What's Inside

We review UK retail sales and major retailers’ trading updates from the 2020 holiday period. This UK Retail Wrap-Up report can help to gauge the scale and shape of demand as we head further into 2021. We provide trading updates for a comprehensive list of UK retailers including ASOS, Dixons Carphone, M&S, Next, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, as well as a timeline of key events in the UK related to Covid-19.

See also our US Retail Wrap-Up report.

CONTENTS

What’s the Story?

Why It Matters

Holiday Retail Sales: In Detail

• December Downturn
• Home and Electronics See a Strong Peak Season
• Online Sales Jump 61%

Retailers’ Trading Updates: In Detail

• Apparel and General Merchandise
• Grocery Remains Strong
• Omissions and Additions

Major UK Retailers’ Holiday-Period Trading Updates: 2020 vs. 2019

What We Think

Appendix: UK Covid-19 Timeline