Insight Report 4 minutes PremiumUK Holiday 2018 Retail Sales and Trading Wrap-Up: December Growth Slows as Uncertainty Accelerates Structural Shift Away from the Midmarket Coresight Research January 21, 2019 Executive SummaryWe review December retail sales and major retailers’ trading updates for the U.K. Total retail growth slowed sharply in December, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). December retail sales increased 2.1% year over year, versus 4.2% year-over-year growth in November. Across the November and December holiday period, total sales were up 3.0% year over year. In December, the grocery sector reported very weak growth and the department stores/mixed goods sector turned negative. However, clothing stores reported solid year-over-year growth of 2.7%. Across November and December, online retail sales accounted for 20.6% of all U.K. retail sales and 30% of all nonfood retail sales. Retailers that focused on value tended to outperform: Tesco and Boohoo Group beat consensus while Primark claimed to have outperformed the U.K. apparel market. Consumer uncertainty appeared to fuel an acceleration in the structural shift to discount and online retailers. As a result, we saw mid-market difficulties continue, notably at Marks & Spencer and Debenhams. Click here to read Coresight’s coverage on US holiday retail and gain key retail insights for 2019 and prior years. Already a subscriber? Log in You are currently viewing a preview of this report. Please select an access option to view the full report. Hide Options - Show Options + Get unlimited access to all our research with one of our subscription plans. View Subscription Plans or Contact us to purchase this report. Contact us ✕ This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: Retail 2024: Five Forces and Five Trends Shaping UK RetailJuly 2023 China Retail Sales: Retail Sales Slowdown ContinuesUnleashing the Power of Retail Media with First-Party Data and Location AnalyticsWeinswig’s Weekly: Tackling the Food-Waste Challenge with Technology