Food store sales volumes fell 1.9% on the month in December 2024, putting index levels at their lowest since April 2013, new data shows.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the monthly fall was strongest within supermarkets, but sales volumes also fell in specialist food stores such as butchers and bakers, and alcohol and tobacco stores, including vaping shops.

Falls in supermarkets were also partly offset by a rise in non-food stores, such as clothing retailers, which rebounded from falls in recent months.

Meanwhile, overall retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in December 2024, following a small rise of 0.1% in November.

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Despite volume sales suffering over the period, value sales online across food stores were up 1.5% in December.

British Retail Consortium (BRC) director of insight Kris Hamer said despite the boost to sales across certain categories, such as clothing or online food stores, “it will barely touch the sides of the £7bn in new costs from the Budget facing the industry in 2025″.

“Higher employer national insurance contributions, higher National Living Wage, and a new packaging levy will heap pressure on an industry that is already paying more than its fair share of tax.

“With retailers doing all they can to absorb existing costs, two thirds of CFOs report they are left with little choice but to increase prices, and reduce investment in jobs and shops.”

He added that to mitigate this, “government must ensure that its proposed business rates reform does not result in any shop paying higher rates than they already do.”