Furniture retail sales fell during April on last month while remaining broadly flat against an annual comparison.
According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics, furniture and lighting retail sales fell 20.6% to £1.15bn from £1.45bn in March. Compared to the previous year, sales were up 0.8% from £1.14bn.
Floorcovering retail sales decreased month-on-month, down by 18.7% to £239.5m from £294.9m. Compared to the same time last year, sales rose by 2% from £234.8m.
Retail sales volumes (quantity bought) are estimated to have fallen by 1.3% in April 2026, following a rise of 0.6% in March 2026. As for the value (amount spent), this was down 20.4% month-on-month to £40.9bn.
Non-food stores (the total of department, clothing, household, and other non-food stores) fell by 1.0%. Non-store retailers also fell on the month, which retailers said was because of reduced demand, as well as unpredictable weather, negatively affecting seasonal campaigns.
Within the monthly series, online sales values fell by 2.3% over the month to April 2026. They rose by 6.6% when comparing April 2026 with April 2025.
The total spend (the sum of in-store and online sales) rose by 0.1% over the month. As a result, the proportion of sales made online fell from 28.7% in March 2026 to 28.1% in April 2026.
Commenting on the retail sales figures up to April 2026, ONS Chief Economist Grant Fitzner said: “Retail sales increased in the three months to April with strong and sustained sales for beauty product stores as well as computer and tech shops.
“After strong growth last month, motor fuel sales fell in April, with evidence suggesting motorists were conserving fuel after stocking up in March. These subdued fuel purchases contributed to a sizeable monthly fall for total retail sales in April.”
