Slow retail sales sparks fear for Christmas trading after sizzling summer

Published: 15-Oct-2018
Retail

New figures from the British Retail Consortium add further woe to embattled UK high street

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.

UK retail sales have grown at their slowest pace for five months, according to a new report by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.

The report showed like-for-like sales decreased by 0.2% in September, the weakest growth for five months.

Over the three months to September, the report recorded in-store sales of non-food items, including beauty and personal care, declined 2.7% on a total basis and 4.0% on a like-for-like basis. This is in line with the 12-month total average decline of 2.7%.

Not yet a Subscriber?

This is a small extract of the full article which is available ONLY to premium content subscribers. Click below to get premium content on Cosmetics Business.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in here.
  • Companies:
  • British Retail Consortium
See more

You may also like

Retail

Sephora, Boots and Space NK call on UK government to tackle ‘unacceptable’ surge in retail crime

Read more
Violence and abuse towards retail workers has almost doubled since the pandemic, according to the British Retail Consortium

Trending Articles

  1. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    Sephora’s ‘quiet hours’ set to inspire, but are only a first step in better shopping inclusivity As the LVMH-owned retailer trials its debut quiet hours scheme to create a more peaceful shopping experience, does the initiative go far enough in supporting neurodiverse customers?
  2. Harry Styles’ Pleasing expands fragrance empire with new launch and pop-up The singer’s lifestyle brand is hosting UK-based pop-up The Pleasing Express, presented by Space NK, to celebrate its fifth fragrance launch Happy Accident
  3. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    From age ratings to skin care A to Zs: What’s the legacy of Sephora Kids one year on? Brands, retailers and parents are getting a grasp on their responsibilities when it comes to getting the right products in Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s hands
  4. Meet the winners: Pure Beauty Global Awards 2025 Pure Beauty’s leading international awards ceremony showcased the best in the business, with winners including e.l.f. Beauty, Glow Recipe and Sol de Janeiro
  5. Sephora breaks out of England with debut Welsh store The LVMH-owned retailer re-entered the UK market in 2022 and has rapidly expanded with several stores nationwide, including sites in Northern England and Kent

Upcoming event

Changing the Game for Good: A Decade of the Sustainable Guar Initiative

22 May 2025 | Virtual See all

You may also like

Retail

Sephora, Boots and Space NK call on UK government to tackle ‘unacceptable’ surge in retail crime

Violence and abuse towards retail workers has almost doubled since the pandemic, according to the British Retail Consortium
Finance

Beauty drives UK retail sales in August

Clothing and footwear saw weaker growth during the period, compared with the uplift enjoyed by beauty and health care sales
Retail

Rising cost of living fails to dent consumer appetite for beauty goods

It comes as overall consumer card spending grew 18.1% in April 2022
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Finance

Open for business: Britain’s beauty retailers welcome back shoppers

England’s shoppers can return to their favourite beauty destinations from today, but experts warn customers need to play their part in keeping shops safe
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Finance

Retail experts warn third England-wide lockdown could be ‘one too many’ for businesses

The British Retail Consortium reported a year-on-year fall in UK retail footfall of more than 40%
Finance

Covid-19: Beauty salons devastated as Tier 4 restrictions force closures

Non-essential retailers have also been asked to shut in what is the busiest shopping period of the calendar year
Finance

‘Nightmare before Christmas’: Beauty businesses shutter for England’s second Covid-19 lockdown

The UK government has ordered all ‘non-essential’ businesses in England to close until 2 December as the country grapples with the spread of the pandemic
Subscribe now