UK retail sales volumes are estimated to have risen by 1% month-on-month in February 2025, the Office for National Statistics said Friday.
Reuters
That was a surprise (but a pleasant one) and came after they’d risen 1.4% in January, although that was revised down from a rise of 1.7% in its last bulletin so the February figures aren’t yet set in stone.
Even more encouraging, non-food store sales volumes “grew strongly” in February, with rises across all four store type sub-sectors (department, other non-food, clothing, and household goods stores), while supermarket sales volumes fell back following a strong rise in January.
More broadly, sales volumes rose by 0.3% in the three months to February 2025, compared with the three months to November 2024, and by 2% when compared with the three months to February 2024.
Looking more closely at non-food stores, they rose by 3.1% over the month. This put their monthly sales volumes at their highest level since March 2022. Household goods stores rose by 6.8%, their largest monthly rise since April 2021, with hardware stores having the largest upward contribution.
Within other non-food stores, watches and jewellery stores grew strongly over the month. Retailers in this industry reported increased demand for gold because of wider economic uncertainty.
Clothing stores also rose in February 2025, but didn’t fully recover from their 2.7% fall in January 2025. Increased discounting and falling clothing prices may have contributed to the increase in sales volumes.
Meanwhile, online sales (by value rather than volume) rose by 3.3% over the month and by 3.9% year on year. However, they fell by 3.1% when comparing the three months to February 2025 with the three months to November 2024.
Expert views
What did analysts and insiders think of the numbers? Jacqueline Windsor, head of retail at PwC UK, said the figures continued the bounceback seen in January and highlighted how fashion in particular responded to the widespread discounting reported by ONS in its inflation figures earlier in the week.
She also noted how online sales penetration increased to 26.5%, underscoring the slow and steady trend toward e-shopping that was boosted by store closures during the pandemic but then had looked at risk at some points after the pandemic.
Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, head of retail at Deloitte, added: “A second consecutive month of retail sales growth, particularly the better-than-expected results for February, should be reassuring for many retailers. Despite the cold weather, consumers still looked to upgrade their wardrobes… There are still headwinds for both consumers and retailers. However, spring is well and truly around the corner.”
And Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK and chair of ICAEW’s Retail Group, was upbeat, saying: “Resilient retailers have dusted themselves off after a challenging December and seen incremental growth at the start of the year. Consumer confidence is improving and widespread discounting has tempted consumers to spend.
“Good news for jewellers in February, which had a strong month with a 20% annual jump in sales, which could be linked to a gold rush due to rising inflation and economic uncertainty.
“This week’s Spring Statement didn’t fundamentally change anything for retailers, but it did confirm that disposable incomes look set to continue to increase. If this feeds through into consumer spending, then the upward trend in sales could help to mitigate the imminent post-Budget headwinds that are due to hit in April.”
Meanwhile, from within retail, Shopify’s Deann Evans, the firm’s EMEA MD said that Valentine’s Day shopping “will no doubt have helped to drive this growth, with our data revealing perfume, make-up and houseplants to be among the most popular choices. Interestingly, classic gifts like flowers and chocolates took a backseat this year.There has also been a consumer focus on outdoor spending, perhaps indicative of spring’s arrival and warmer weather. Consumers are clearly keen to shake off the winter blues and get out to enjoy the warmer weather, or at least prepare for it.”
And Jim Rudall, head of EMEA at marketing and email platform, Intuit Mailchimp, made a good point that while February may not be a major shopping month for some categories, it’s a “key month for marketers, bringing the first calendar commerce moment of the year in the form of Valentine’s Day. The industry will therefore be pleased to see encouraging positive sales figures recorded last month.
“If our 2024 data is anything to go by, Valentine’s Day can often set the tone for the month as a whole. Indeed, the first significant uptick in campaigns identified as Valentine’s Day-themed was on 1 February, as marketers started the month in earnest.”
As part of its collaboration with Major League Baseball (MLB), Ralph Lauren has launched a special capsule collection in honor of the Tokyo Series.
Ralph Lauren launches MLB capsule collection for Tokyo Series. – Ralph Lauren
The latest release showcases the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and New York Yankees, across satin bombers, fleece sweatshirts, baseball caps, and classic polo shirts in team colorways for both adults and children.
To mark the launch, Ralph Lauren and Major League Baseball hosted a series of events during the MLB Tokyo Series. Held in Japan, the Tokyo Series featured two regular-season games between the Cubs and Dodgers at the iconic Tokyo Dome in March.
The partnership between Ralph Lauren and MLB began in 2018 when Bronx native and lifelong Yankees fan Ralph Lauren was honored at Yankee Stadium for the brand’s 50th anniversary.
The partnership started with a limited-edition Ralph Lauren Yankees collection and expanded in 2021 to include a multi-team capsule collection featuring teams like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Boston Red Sox. The collaboration continued to evolve with the launch of an updated Yankees collection in 2024.
The latest collection is available for purchase at the MLB Flagship Store (NYC), select MLB Club stadium shops, select Ralph Lauren stores worldwide, and online.
California-based women’s lifestyle brand L’Agence has opened a new flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York City.
L’Agence opens new NYC flagship store on Madison Avenue. – L’Agence
Located at 956 Madison Avenue, the 4,400-square-foot flagship embodies the brand’s signature blend of luxury and effortless style.
The multi-level store offers an immersive, dynamic environment where customers can explore the brand’s full range, including denim, ready-to-wear, swimwear, footwear, accessories, candles, and its newly launched sleepwear collaboration with Eberjey. In-store stylists are available to provide personalized service, including private shopping appointments.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our flagship location in New York, a milestone that represents not just growth, but our unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional experience for our customers, where we can showcase the breadth of our offering,” said Jonny Saven, CEO.
“As we continue to expand, this new location is a symbol of what’s to come—more opportunities to connect with our community, push boundaries, and shape the future of the brand.”
L’Agence has experienced remarkable success, averaging 40% growth year over year since the start of the pandemic. In 2024 alone, online revenue from the brand’s website exceeded $100 million.
This opening strengthens the brand’s presence in New York, following its initial NYC retail debut in Fall 2018. In 2024, it equally opened three new U.S. stores including in Houston, TX, and Newport Beach, CA, as well as debuted its innovative Jean Bar concept on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
The brand also expanded internationally, launching flagship locations in Paris and Seoul.
Guess Inc. announced on Thursday sales for the fiscal 2025 year increased 8% to $3 billion, on the back of a solid fourth quarter helped on by the U.S. retailer’s Rag & Bone acquisition.
Guess
The Los Angeles-based company said fourth-quarter sales grew 5% to $932.3 million for three months ending February 1. By region, Europe revenues increased 2%, partially offset by a 15% decline in Asia sales. Domestically, Americas retail revenues lifted 4%, despite retail comparable sales, including e-commerce, taking a 14% dive, while Americas wholesale revenues surged 63%. Licensing revenues rose 18%, the company said.
For the quarter, net income fell 29% to $81.4 million. The company attributed its quarterly growth to the Rag & Bone acquisition, which took place in April last year, as well as “positive momentum” in its wholesale businesses in Europe and the Americas and increased licensing revenues.
“All of our operating segments posted revenue growth, except for our Asia segment,” said Carlos Alberini, chief executive officer, Guess Inc.
“With this performance, we closed the year with revenue growth of 8% in U.S. dollars and 10% in constant currency. During the year, we delivered solid results with our Licensing segment and our wholesale businesses in Europe and the Americas, but missed our plans for our direct-to-consumer business due to slower customer traffic in North America and Asia. All considered, for the year we reached almost $3 billion in revenues and $174 million and $180 million in GAAP and adjusted operating earnings, respectively. Importantly, this year we reached a significant milestone for our company, as we executed our first acquisition in Guess’s history, with the addition of rag & bone to our portfolio.”
In a separate release on Thursday, the iconic American brand announced that Alberto Toni, currently group managing director and chief financial officer of Flos B&B Italia Group S.p.A., has been appointed chief financial officer of Guess, effective mid-June.
Toni will succeed interim CFO Dennis Secor, who will remain with the company as executive vice president through September 12, to support a smooth transition. Toni will be based in Lugano, Switzerland, and will lead Guess’s finance team globally.
“We are excited to welcome Alberto as our company’s next CFO,” said Alberini.
“He brings over 30 years of global financial and operational experience as well as a track record of disciplined execution across established design, retail and consumer-focused companies. We look forward to benefiting from Alberto’s leadership as we work to further optimize our business portfolio, enhance our cost structure and best position Guess for the long-term growth opportunities we see ahead.”
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