UK Retail Sales Up 0.6 Per Cent in Q2 2026, Led by Online and Non-Food Stores

Official ONS figures show retail sales volumes grew modestly between April and June 2026, with online retailers and non-food shops — including computer, telecoms and department stores — driving the gain.

Retail sales volumes across Great Britain rose by 0.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the first, according to figures posted by the Office for National Statistics. The growth was led by online retailers, boosted by fine weather and promotional activity, alongside stronger sales in computer and telecoms shops and department stores.

Independent analysts at the KPMG Retail Think Tank describe Q2 growth as modest and below consumer price inflation — which stood at around 3.4 per cent in December 2025. In real terms, that means shoppers are buying slightly more by volume, but retailers aren’t necessarily earning more in meaningful terms.

For Kent households and businesses, the picture is mixed. ONS doesn’t publish county-level retail sales data, so the 0.6 per cent figure is a Great Britain-wide measure — but local retailers in Maidstone, Canterbury and Ashford face the same structural pressures it reflects. The strong performance of online retailers intensifies competition for high-street shops, while larger venues such as Bluewater in Dartford and Ashford Designer Outlet may benefit from the non-food store growth the ONS specifically flagged.

Online sales accounted for around 27 to 28 per cent of total retail by value in early 2026, the figures show. That’s a share that smaller independent retailers — who can’t match the promotional firepower of national platforms — find increasingly hard to compete with.

So while the headline number is positive, analysts caution that the recovery remains fragile. Growth driven heavily by promotions and good weather is sensitive to shifts in consumer confidence. Retail volumes overall still sit below pre-pandemic levels, and margin pressure from higher labour costs, business rates and energy bills means modest volume growth doesn’t automatically translate into stronger profits or more secure jobs on Kent’s high streets.