Retail in Numbers
Official statistics, helping to explain the situation of the retail industry.
RETAIL IN NUMBERS
The below data provide official statistics, helping to explain the situation of the retail industry. The figures are sourced primarily from the Office for National Statistics, deriving data from national accounts, the Monthly Business Survey – Retail Sales Index and the Labour Force Survey. Other sources include the Insolvency Service, HMRC, the Annual Survey of Hourly Earnings as well as the Business Register and Employment Survey.
SALES
| Indicator | Statistics | Historical Average |
|
Total Sales in Value Terms
|
The total value of sales is £483bn (non-seasonally adjusted, ex. automotive fuel, current prices), in the 12 months to September 2025. |
The average growth rate between 1987-2024 was 3.9%. |
|
Total Sales in Volume Terms
|
The total volume of sales is £472bn (seasonally adjusted, ex. automotive fuel, 2022 prices), in the 12 months to September 2025. |
The average growth rate between 1995-2024 was 2.0%. |
|
Gross Value Added (GVA)
|
The Wholesale and Retail (ex. motor vehicles) industry generates £212.9bn (6.7% of the UK economy), in the four quarters to 2025 Q2, when total input costs are subtracted from total revenue. |
The average growth rate 1991-2024 was 1.2%. |
|
Online Sales % of Total Retail
|
The share of all retail sales taking place over the internet is 28.0%, as of September 2025. |
The average between 2008-2024 was 16.3%. |
EMPLOYMENT
| Indicator | Statistics | Historical Average |
|
Jobs
|
There are 2.78mn jobs in retail, accounting for close to 10% of all jobs in the British economy, in the four quarters to 2025 Q2. |
The average between 1978-2024 was 2.77mn jobs. |
|
Vacancies
|
Wholesale and retail vacancies numbered 74,000, 36.2% lower than in the period immediately preceding the pandemic, between Jun-Aug 2025. |
The average between 2001-24 was 107,300. |
|
Wage Growth
|
At 5.6%, in September 2025, median payroll growth in wholesale and retail was above the UK average of 5.5%. |
The wholesale and retail average between 2015-24 was 5.1% and the UK average was 4.3%, per year. |
|
Productivity
|
Retail labour productivity in 2024 was 0.1% lower than in 2023 and 4.1% lower than in 2019. The figures for the UK are, respectively, -0.9% and +1.8%. |
The average growth in retail productivity between 1998-2023 was 0.3% and for the UK was 1.1%, per year. |
|
Redundancies
|
Wholesale and retail redundancies numbered 44,760, in 2024. |
The average between 2009-23 was 79,647, per year. |
TAX
| Indicator | Statistics (2023-24) | Industry Rank (Out of 20) |
|
Corporation Tax
|
Wholesale and Retail businesses paid £8.9bn in Corporation Tax. |
2nd |
|
Value-Added Tax (VAT)
|
Wholesale and Retail businesses paid £55.5bn in Net Home VAT. |
1st |
BUSINESS DEMOGRAPHICS
| Indicator | Statistics (2024) | Historical Average |
|
Number of Registered Businesses
|
Wholesale and Retail businesses numbered 452,060. |
The average between 2013-21 was 374,964 registered businesses. |
|
Number of Employers
|
Wholesale and Retail employers numbered 192,435. |
NA |
|
Turnover
|
The turnover of Wholesale and Retail businesses was £1.57trn. |
NA |
|
Insolvencies and CVAs (2024)
|
Retail insolvencies numbered 2,019 and Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVA) numbered 16. |
The average between 2014-23 was 1,322 insolvencies and 20 CVAs, per year. |
NATIONS AND REGIONS
|
Area |
|||
|
North-East |
104,000 |
£12.82 |
6,190 |
|
North-West |
312,000 |
£13.18 |
24,505 |
|
Yorks and Humber |
200,000 |
£13.20 |
16,600 |
|
East Midlands |
173,000 |
£13.41 |
14,080 |
|
West Midlands |
208,000 |
£13.03 |
18,465 |
|
East Anglia |
241,000 |
£13.31 |
18,195 |
|
London |
407,000 |
£15.06 |
43,275 |
|
South-East |
374,000 |
£13.46 |
27,360 |
|
South-West |
240,000 |
£13.11 |
16,185 |
|
Wales |
116,000 |
£12.80 |
7,925 |
|
Scotland |
208,000 |
£12.83 |
14,030 |
|
Northern Ireland |
86,000 |
£12.60 |
6,090 |