Poor weather and one of the wettest Februarys on record put a dampener on UK retail sales last month, according to the latest figures from the BRC-KPMG Monitor.

Flat sales in February

Spanning the four weeks between 01 – 28 Feb 2026, total UK retail sales rose just +1.1% year-on-year, dipping below the 12-month average growth of +2.3%.

Non-food sales decreased by -0.4% year-on-year – while food sales performed better, rising +2.9% compared to 2024 in February, they still remained below the 12-month average of 3.8%.

“Spending was weak across most categories, online and instore, as households pulled back after Christmas and January’s rebound,” Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, commented. “Food sales were flat in real terms as shoppers tightened their belts.”

Dickinson went on to say that Valentine’s Day had provided a bright spot, with jewellery, watches and perfume performing better.

A Valentine’s bright spot

The Perfume Shop reported a Valentine’s Day boost last month, reporting it had sold more than 240k bottles of perfume between 01 – 14 Feb 2026, which helped drive a +34% increase in sales across its fragrance portfolio.

Separate wider ecommerce data from delivery management platform, Scurri, showed online orders surged in the lead up to Valentine’s Day 2026, with Sun 08 Feb 2026 recording the highest uplift, +103% year-on-year, followed by Mon 09 Feb 2026 (+76%).

Linda Ellett, UK Head of Consumer, Retail & Leisure, KPMG, said that “while some channels, categories and brands are showing there is still room to thrive, the combination of ongoing business costs and limited consumer spending is challenging others.”