Small Retailers See Larger Increase In Sales In March

The most recent retail sales index published by the ONS shows that the seasonally adjusted value of retail sales increased by 4.5% in March 2011 compared to March 2010 and the volume increased by 1.3%. The index also showed that on a month by month basis sales increased by 0.1% in value and 0.2% in volume between February and March 2011.

The March bulletin also included a supplementary study on small and large retail stores. The non-seasonally adjusted volume decreased by 0.1%. Over the same period large retailers decreased by 1.2% but small retailers increased by 3.9%. The biggest difference between large and small store growth was on food stores. The growth rate for all stores showed a 3.2% decrease but a 4.1% decrease for large stores and a 2.5% decrease for small stores. Food stores can be sub-divided into specialised and non-specialised stores. Non-specialised stores decreased by 3.1% within which large stores decreased by 4.4% but small stores increased by 12.3%. Specialised stores increased by 0.4%.

The non-food stores showed more varied results. Small non-specialised stores saw the biggest increase with 31.2%, followed by small other non-food stores with 8.5% and all other non-food stores with 7.6%. The biggest decrease was in small household goods stores with -10.2% with all household goods stores and large household goods stores following with -8.7% and -8.1% respectively.

Small stores are those with less than 100 employees. Large retailers are those with more than 100 employees or those with less than 100 employees but a turnover greater than £60m. All 900 large retailers were included in the sample. a representative sample of 4,100 small retailers was also included in the sample. The largest growth was in the 10-39 employment group with an average increase of 6.6%, then 0.9 employees with 6.5% average growth, 40-99 reprted 5.2% growth and the group with over 100 employees reported growth of 2.3%.

Price estimates for retail sales between March 2010 and March 2011 rose by 4.4%. The value of Internet sales in March 2011 was £529m or 9.8% of total retail sales in March.

Retail Sales Up In February

The value of retail sales rose by 4.9% this year as against February 2009. The index was 114.4 compared with 112.3 in January. There was an increase of 1.9% on last month and 3.8% on the last three months. If fuel is excluded the increase was 5.3%. The volume of retail sales rose by 3.5% compared with February 2009. The index was 112.1 and 114.3 excluding fuel. The increase on last month was 2.1% and 1.6% on the previous three months. If fuel is excluded the increase in volume was 5.4% (Figures seasonally adjusted). The deflator was 1.6 and excluding fuel it was -0.1.

Looking at the data in more detail, the predominantly food stores increased their sales value by 0.9% on last year and non-food stores increased value by 8.1%. Non-specialised stores increased by 9.1%, textile, clothing and footwear increased by 6.5% and other stores by 11.1%. Household goods increased sales value by 5.4% over the year and a record 9.7% month on month. Non-store retailing increased by a record 21.2% on last year. Auto fuel was 1.5% up on last year.

The 3.5% increase in volume was mainly due to an increase in non-store retailing of 20.4%, non-food stores at 8.4% within which non-specialised and other stores increased by 9.7% and textile, clothing and footwear increased by 9.5%. Household goods increased in volume by 4.4% over the year and by 11.2 on last month, the highest monthly increase on record. These increases in volume were offset by automotive fuel which was 15.7% lower than last year. Prices of retail sales were estimated to be 1.6% higher than February 2009.

Internet retail sales average weekly value was £414m or about 8% of all retail sales, excluding fuel. The total value of retail sales in February was estimated to be £22.9bn. The estimated weekly value of retail sales in February was £5.7bn (Figures not seasonally adjusted).