Retailers in Great Britain felt the omicron wave at the end of the year. From November to December 2021, their sales fell by 3.7 percent, as the statistics office ONS announced on Friday in London. Compared to the same month last year, revenues fell by 0.9 percent.
At first glance, the year as a whole went very well for the British retail trade. However, the result should be viewed against the background of significant losses in the first Corona year 2020, the statisticians put it into perspective. In 2021, sales grew by 5.1 percent compared to 2020. This is the strongest growth since 2004.
At the end of the year, sales outside of the food trade were particularly weak. They fell by 7.1 percent on a monthly basis. However, sales had also increased significantly earlier in November. According to ONS, retailers reported that the Omicron variant slowed down business.
Sales of fuel at the petrol stations also fell significantly in December, which the statisticians justified with a renewed increase in working from home. The market share of e-commerce increased slightly to 26.6 percent and is still significantly higher than before the pandemic, when it was almost 20 percent. (dpa)