Black Friday’s late timing in 2024 boosted December retail sales but dampened November figures, balancing out in the Golden Quarter, where sales grew 0.4 per cent YoY.
UK total retail rose 0.7 per cent annually, with December sales up 3.2 per cent.
Non-Food declined 1.5 per cent for the year.
Experts cite weak confidence and highlight AI’s role for 2025.