UK Sees Big Jump in Retail and Hospitality Sales in First Few Months of 2021

With spring coming to a close and summer just around the corner, things are looking up for the retail industry in the United Kingdom. 

According to recently released data from the Office of National Statistics, retail sales in the UK rebounded in the spring of 2021, with sales reaching 10% higher than they were before the pandemic. 

Retail volume also shifted 9.2% in April 2021, with clothing sales up 70% from the same time last year as lockdown measures were lifted and people were able to visit shops in person.

Retail sales overall increased 42.4% in April this year compared to April of the previous year when the first national lockdown was implemented. Department stores and automotive fuel retailers saw particularly big gains, with 9.9% and 8.9% growth respectively in the first three months of 2021. 

These findings are corroborated by Epos Now’s internal data. Epos Now has seen exponential growth in transactions on our systems between the months of February and April 2021. 

In February 2021, Epos Now registered 7,600,000 transactions made through Epos Now systems in the UK. That number grew to 9,800,000 in March. The biggest jump came in April as Epos Now systems registered 15,500,000 total transactions, an increase of 58% from the last month and an increase of 190% since January.

Transactions are expected to grow even further as lockdown measures continue to ease in the coming months and levels of regular trading can resume. 

On May 17, businesses like restaurants, cafes, bars, and pubs were allowed to serve guests indoors, increasing the opportunities and the number of people they are able to serve.

Further easing measures are scheduled for June 21.