The retail sector recorded its worst December performance since at least 2017, ending the year with negative like-for-like sales figures in all three months of the crucial ‘Golden Quarter’, according to new data from accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.
According to BDO’s High Street Sales Tracker, overall like-for-like (LFL) sales for discretionary spending decreased by 2.7 per cent in December over the previous year’s data.
According to BDO, the underwhelming performance would raise red flags for retailers because Golden Quarter sales are often anticipated “to bolster profits and give retailers the capital they need to invest.”
Sophie Michael, Head of Retail and Wholesale at BDO, said, “This is the worst December performance we’ve seen since our records began, with 2023 only the third year on record with negative in-store sales in each of the three months leading up to Christmas, which last happened in 2015. Taking into account inflation which still remains high, the seriousness of these results should not be underestimated.”
Sales in discretionary categories fell -6.25 per cent in week two and -4.49 per cent in week three of the month, compounding the first week’s negative sales growth of -3.49 per cent. Sales decreased by -3.58 per cent in the last week of December compared to the same period the previous year, despite a little increase in the week before Christmas Eve.
The apparel industry had a very bad Christmas season, with sales declining by -6.1 per cent from 2022 and in-store sales tumbling by -7.5 per cent.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
