---
title: "Primark Sales Decline as UK Consumer Confidence Wavers in Mild Winter Conditions"
publisher: "Stockmark.IT"
author: "Stockmark.IT Website"
published: "2025-01-25T04:39:30+00:00"
modified: "2025-01-24T13:44:12+00:00"
date: 2025-01-25
canonical: "https://stockmark.it/primark-sales-decline-as-uk-consumer-confidence-wavers-in-mild-winter-conditions/"
category: "Fashion"
categories: ["Fashion", "Retail"]
format: "news"
language: "en-GB"
---

# Primark Sales Decline as UK Consumer Confidence Wavers in Mild Winter Conditions

**Published:** January 25, 2025
**Author:** Stockmark.IT Website
**Categories:** Fashion, Retail

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British high street fashion retailer Primark has reported a concerning 6% drop in UK sales during the crucial Christmas quarter, prompting a significant downward revision of its annual sales forecasts. The decline has been attributed to unseasonably mild weather conditions and deteriorating consumer confidence among its core customer base.

Eoin Tonge, finance director at Associated British Foods (ABF), Primark’s parent company, highlighted mounting pressures on lower-income consumers as a key factor in the sales decline. The retailer’s performance during the festive period revealed a pattern where shoppers became increasingly selective about their purchasing decisions, only engaging during peak shopping moments.

The company’s international operations painted a more optimistic picture, with total worldwide sales growing by 2%. The US market demonstrated particular strength with a 17% increase, while European territories including Spain and Portugal saw 9% growth. Celebrity collaborations, featuring partnerships with Rita Ora and Kem Cetinay, helped drive sales in specific categories such as leisure wear and menswear.

The retailer’s digital strategy remains limited, with click-and-collect services available at select locations. Despite industry speculation about the need for home delivery options, Tonge maintains that the company isn’t losing significant market share to online competitors.

ABF’s broader portfolio showed mixed results, with its grocery division experiencing modest 1% growth, bolstered by strong performance from Twinings and Ovaltine brands. The sugar division recorded a 2% decline, reflecting falling European sugar prices.

Looking ahead, Primark has adjusted its growth expectations, now targeting low single-digit sales growth of up to 3%, down from the previous 5% forecast. This conservative outlook reflects ongoing challenges in the UK retail landscape and broader economic uncertainties affecting consumer spending patterns.

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