Worse-Than-Thought UK Retail Sales Deepen Data Accuracy Woes

UK retail sales were much weaker than initially thought in 2025 after an error that will deepen concerns over the accuracy of the country’s economic data.

The Office for National Statistics said on Friday that the volume of sales rose 1.1% in the first six months of the year, less than the 1.7% increase previously estimated — the equivalent of around £2 billion ($2.7 billion) in lost sales. The revision came after statisticians found a mistake in how they seasonally adjust the data.