Retail trade in the UK - statistics & facts

The retail sector is an important contributor to the economic landscape of the United Kingdom, not just as a source of income but also as an employer, as the sector employs an average of three million people across more than 235,000 enterprises. With a few exceptions, the annual value of retail sales in the UK has steadily increased over the past decade, with 2022 witnessing the highest total of roughly 496 billion pounds. In 2021, the gross value added of UK retail trade, excluding sales of motor vehicles, was more than 100 million pounds.

Supermarkets: champions of the sector

Non-specialized food stores (e.g., supermarkets) take up the lion’s share of the retail landscape in Great Britain. Stores which predominantly sold food enjoyed an annual sales volume worth more than 150 billion British pounds in each of the last 18 years. In 2022, this figure was approximately 166 million pounds, a slight decrease on the previous year. In comparison the retail sales volume of textile, clothing, and footwear stores was worth almost 49 million pounds in 2022, which showed a strong recovery from the previous two countries.

Tesco tops the table

Considering the predominant role supermarkets play in the UK retail sector, it should not come as a surprise that the majority of the top retailers in the country are supermarket giants. Tesco sits at the top of that list, with 16 billion pounds more in sales value than Amazon UK. Tesco had a share of more than a quarter of the grocery store market in Great Britain as of October 2023, which set the supermarket significantly ahead of its competitors. Second-placed Sainsbury's had a share of roughly 15 percent. Aldi made up the top three supermarkets by market share. Outside of supermarkets, one of the leading UK-based retailers based on worldwide sales was Kingfisher plc, which owns various home improvement chains, such as Screwfix and B&Q.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by P. Smith, Dec 20, 2023

Key insights

Value of annual retail sales in the UK
495.71bn GBP
Retail sales annual percentage change
6.9%
Leading retailer in the UK
Tesco
Get more insights

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Leading 10 retailers based on sales in the United Kingdom (UK) in 2022/23 (in billion GBP)

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Further reportsGet the best reports to understand your industry

Apparel market in the United Kingdom (UK)
Apparel market in the United Kingdom (UK)
Supermarkets in the UK
Supermarkets in the UK
Tesco Group in the United Kingdom (UK)
Tesco Group in the United Kingdom (UK)
Sainsbury group in the United Kingdom (UK)
Sainsbury group in the United Kingdom (UK)
Retail market in the United States
Retail market in the United States

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