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Black Friday weaker this year says ONS

ended 19. December 2025

The Black Friday effect was weaker than usual this year, according to official retail sales data published this morning by the Office for National Statistics. Keen to get your views on whether you're personally done with the whole Black Friday thing or if you think Brits have woken up to the fact that the deals can often be secured at other times of the year? Also, any thoughts on the wider retail sales data, which fell again last month (see below), send them across, too.

  • Retail sales are estimated to have fallen by 0.1% in November 2025, following a fall of 0.9% in October 2025 (revised up from a 1.1% fall) and a rise of 0.8% in September 2025 (revised up from a 0.7% rise). Non-store retailers' volumes dipped as demand for gold slowed, while supermarkets fell for the fourth consecutive month. 
  • The quantity of goods bought (volume) in retail sales is estimated to have risen by 0.6% in the three months to November 2025 compared with the three months to August 2025. Clothing stores and computer and telecommunication retailers maintained a strong three-monthly performance. Furniture stores also rose following growth over the last five consecutive months.

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Nicholas Found
Head of Commercial Insights at Retail Economics
November underlines just how fragile retail remains. While Black Friday was the month’s defining event, its impact was dampened by heightened uncertainty ahead of the Budget, with tactical and value-focused spening.
Our research with MRI Software shows three-quarters of consumers intended to shop Black Friday, using the event to bring forward Christmas spending rather than spend more overall. Growth was narrow and selective, concentrated in fashion, beauty and home, and shaped by tight household budgeting rather than renewed confidence.
Inflation eased in November as promotions delivered value for consumers, but easing price rises alone don’t change the wider picture. The cost of living remains the top concern for households, and retailers are now operating in an environment where wins increasingly come at a competitor’s expense.
The real test for retailers is in the run-up to Christmas, as retailers attempt to convert promotions into profitable growth.