Industry Talk

Regular Industry Development Updates, Opinions and Talking Points relating to Manufacturing, the Supply Chain and Logistics.

UK retail sales – best quarter on record

With UK retail sales posting their strongest quarter since records began, according to the British Retail Consortium and KPMG, Melissa Minkow considers the factors making this the perfect recipe for shoppers to return following months of restrictions, as well what’s in store over the next few months:

“That UK retail sales posted their strongest quarter on record signals a bounce back from restrictions that we’ve all been hoping for. With indoor and outdoor hospitality open, warmer weather, and the excitement of the Euros, this has been the perfect recipe for shoppers to return to high streets and spend.

“This sense of normalcy is being welcomed with open arms, especially as ‘Freedom Day’ draws nearer. But too much damage was done to stores during lockdown to say which businesses will ultimately survive in a vaccinated world.

“The next few months’ numbers will be extremely telling as to which retailers will be able to succeed in the long-term versus those that are reaping the short-term benefits of a brief, excitement-induced bounce back. The most resilient brands have and will continue to invest in e-commerce and the experiential component of brick-and-mortar that consumers have had to forgo over the last year.”