LAST year has been declared the worst on record for the retail sector.
Total retail sales in the UK fell by 0.1 per cent during 2019 according to a new report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.
It compares with 1.2 per cent growth for the whole of 2018. BRC said the decline in sales made 2019 its worst year on record.
Total retail sales during November and December declined by 1.2 per cent compared with the same period in 2018. In store sales of non-food items fell 3.5 per cent over the last three months of 2019.
Director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, Aodhán Connolly, said 2019 had been a tough year for retail right across the UK, amid political uncertainty, Brexit deadlines and sums spent on preparing for the possible changes in trade relationships.
“With more changes guaranteed by the end of 2020, we need the Government to explain how they will protect NI business and NI consumers from the complexity and cost rises that will come under the current deal.
“It is important to break the narrative that Northern Ireland is OK under this deal. Northern Ireland is not OK.
“That's why we need to minimise any delays, red tape and costs created by an Irish Seas border so that we can continue to provide our households with the choice and affordability they have now. “
Across the UK, spending appears to have slowed during the lead up to Christmas. Online sales of non-food items increased by 2.6 per cent across November and December compared with 2018. That was lower than the 12-month average of 3.3 per cent throughout 2019.
The BRC’s chief executive, Helen Dickinson said: “2019 was the worst year on record and the first year to show an overall decline in retail sales. This was also reflected in the CVAs, shop closures and job losses that the industry suffered in 2019.”
Head of Retail at KPMG, Paul Martin, said: “At first glance retailers’ relentlessness paid off in December, with total sales up 1.9 per cent. However, the later timing of Black Friday will have skewed the outcome. If looking at November and December combined, sales actually declined by 0.9%.
“Consumers clearly favoured logging on to walking in, with online sales up 12.8 per cent in December. However, if taking a two-month average, growth online was clearly muted at only 2.6 per cent.”
