Bexit is already impacting the high street. According to the figures released by accountancy firm BDO reveal a 3.6 per cent decline in year-on-year sales in June - the worst in more than a decade.
The fashion sector experienced its second lowest monthly figure so far this year, as sales fell 4.9 per cent compared to June 2015. Homewares were hit, too, dropping 6 per cent year-on-year, while lifestyle goods inched down by 0.2 per cent.
BDO data showed that overall sales grew 3.8 per cent year-on-year in the first week of June. But the aftermath of Brexit bruised retailers as the month wore on, plunging 3.1 per cent in the second week as consumers started to worry. By the final week of June - two days after the referendum - sales were down 8.1 per cent year-on-year.
Incidentally, June marked the fifth month in a row that the British high street reported negative growth. But it was the first time in almost a year that lifestyle, fashion and homewares all recorded declines in the same month. According to the latest BRC-Nielsen Shop Price Index, June was also the 38th month of deflation in the U.K.
According to Sophie Michael, head of retail and wholesale at BDO, many retailers may have hedged against the falling pound for the short term, but if sterling stays at these levels, the cost of importing goods and further erosion to margin may need to be passed onto the consumer.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
Turning the supply chain upside down, on-demand production reshapes apparel
The global fashion industry, long celebrated for its creativity and scale, is facing a structural reckoning. For decades, retailers and... Read more
Intertex Milano 2026 - A global nexus for textile innovation
Intertex Milano is set to return this summer, confirming its status as a premier international destination for the textile and... Read more
Primark at crossroads as AB Foods weighs spin-off amid digital and Lefties press…
The long-standing supremacy of Europe’s budget fashion champion, Primark, is facing a test. As of February 2026, Associated British Foods... Read more
Vietnam, Bangladesh, Cambodia drive US apparel imports in 2025
The 2025 year-end data for the US apparel sector reveals an industry in structural flux. Despite aggressive tariff measures and... Read more
The New Dress Code: Sportswear’s takeover of modern wardrobes
For much of the last decade, fashion retail has been defined by volatility. Trends have shortened, discount cycles have intensified... Read more
Hemp finds its moment in India’s $500 billion American trade calculus
In the grand arithmetic of India’s expanding trade engagement with the US, the headlines usually gravitate toward oil cargoes, aircraft... Read more
EU PET spunbond imports under scrutiny, misclassification sparks regulatory and …
The European nonwovens and technical textiles sector is facing an unprecedented compliance crisis as a rise of customs misclassification threatens... Read more
From atelier to algorithm, Gucci is redefining premium marketing
As Milan welcomes the Primavera 2026 fashion calendar, the spotlight is fixed not just on the runway but on Gucci,... Read more
America’s Store Split: Why discount retailers are winning as department stores s…
By early 2026, the American retail industry no longer resembles a single marketplace moving in one direction. It feels more... Read more
Europe’s Textile Crisis: The sovereign fibre trap and the race against China
By early 2026, the European textile and apparel sector finds itself at a crossroads that challenges traditional market logic. Unlike... Read more












