;
COVID-19 SERVICE: We are heightening our efforts to assist the UK retail & leisure industry through this challenging period. Explore this service now… COVID-19 SERVICE

UK Retail Stats and Facts

World class providers of data, statistics and insight for the UK retail industry

Top 10 stats and facts about the UK retail sector

Our top 10 facts and stats about the UK retail sector. As a subscriber you have access to an entire suite of retail insights and data through your subscriber dashboard and our Help Desk. Take our a free, 30 day trial now >

1 Total value of UK retail sales in 2020 £403 bn
2 People employed in UK retail in 2020 2.9M
3 Proportion of consumer spending that goes through retail 1/3
4 Proportion of retail sales made online in 2020 28%
5 Growth in UK retail sales in 2020 2.2%
6 Total number of VAT-registered retailers in the UK in 2020 208,795
7 Total number of retail outlets in the UK in 2020 306,985
8 Amount retail generates of total GDP (GVA) 5%
9 Average annual growth of online retail sales in 2020 45%
10 Online sales have risen three fold in the last 10 years 324%
Source: ONS, Eurostat, Retail Economics

Discover the UK's Top 10 Overall Retailers

Retail Economics publishes a variety of top 10 UK retailers for various retail sectors.

View Top 10 Retailers

Stats and facts by sector

Explore sector reports

Explore content

Connect

About Retail Economics

We publish monthly retail economic and sector reports

January 2022

What you get out of our economic reports
  • Instant retail sales overview
  • Independent analysis
  • Actionable insight
  • Future retail trends
  • More time for high priority tasks
VIEW LATEST ECONOMIC REPORTS
UK Retail statistics Retail Economics

January 2022

What you get out of our sector reports
  • Analysis of seven different retail sectors
  • Independent analysis
  • Actionable insight
  • Future retail trends
  • More time for high priority tasks
VIEW LATEST SECTOR REPORTS

Need more insight on UK retail?

Try a FREE 30 day trial subscription and get access to:

  • Market intelligence reports
  • Data on top 10 UK retailers for each sector
  • Market share data
  • Market size
  • Retail industry forecasts and more…
START MY FREE TRIAL
<

Trusted by

    Sainsburys Argos O2 Barclays Warner Bros Akznobel Sky British Land

Industries we work with

If you work in the retail sector…

1

Improve your decision making using our proprietary data, analysis and forecasts

2

Benchmark UK retail sales performance using our official data source summaries

3

Get a competitive advantage from our concise, timely and succinct retail insights

If you work in the financial sector…

1

Gain a comprehensive understanding of market trends, behavioural shifts and structural changes

2

Quantify market size of key sectors, market share of major players and assess retailer intelligence

3

Form a robust view of the future based on accurate macroeconomic and retail forecasts

If you work in the property sector…

1

Decipher key consumer trends to understand the implications on the UK retail property market

2

Quantify the impact of digital influences on the customer journey for key decision making

3

Use our Help Desk function to support you with client meetings, key pitches or internal strategy

If you work in the media sector…

1

Better understand your client’s needs and secure more business using our insights

2

Prepare for upcoming events, meetings and sales pitches using our retail data summaries

3

Excel when communicating with clients by improving your understanding of their workspace

If you work in the retail solutions sector…

1

Get ahead by identifying market opportunities from our proprietary data and analysis

2

Integrate actionable insights into your business from our timely publications

3

Secure your retail knowledge for upcoming events, meetings and sales pitches