The retail sector has continued to adapt in the face of shifting consumer habits, economic uncertainty, and the rapid rise of digital-first shopping. While challenges remain, from inflation to changing expectations around value and experience, retailers
have shown remarkable resilience.
According to the
Office for National Statistics, UK retail sales volumes rose by 0.9% in Q3 2025 compared to the previous quarter – the strongest level since summer 2022. Year-on-year, volumes were up 1.0%, with non-store retailing and clothing sales leading the charge.
And with Black Friday just around the corner, the opportunity to connect with customers in more meaningful ways is greater than ever.
Black Friday evolves into a season of shopping
New analysis from Experian and Reward reveals that Black Friday is no longer a one-day event. Instead, it has evolved into a season of shopping, with consumers spreading their spend across the Golden Quarter. In 2024, October and December outperformed November
in terms of sales and this trend is expected to continue into 2025. The broader trading window grew by over 10% compared to 2023 signalling a shift in how people approach festive spending.
Experiences, wellbeing, and value-led purchases are now central to consumer behaviour. Travel spends grew by 8.3% in Q4 2024 and has continued to climb in 2025. Meanwhile, gym sign-ups (+9.4%), nutrition (+5.6%), and health & beauty (+2.2%) all reflect a
growing investment in self-care.
Online shopping driving retail growth
Retailers that have embraced digital transformation are seeing the benefits. Value-driven retail grew by 42% year-on-year, resale platforms by 21%, and social shopping channels by 23.6%. Even older demographics are increasingly active online, with the 65+
age group now accounting for 14% of total online spend.
This shift in behaviour means retailers must deliver seamless, personalised experiences across every channel. Promotional campaigns remain important, but they must be backed by smart targeting and operational efficiency.
Data validation is powering performance
Behind the scenes, customer data validation is helping retailers scale with confidence. During Black Friday 2024, Experian processed 49 million validation requests globally, averaging 567 requests per second. On Cyber Monday, a further 47 million requests
were processed, bringing the total to 96 million validations across the period.
These validations – checking and correcting email, address, and phone data in real-time – are integrated at key points of customer interaction, from checkout forms to CRM systems. They help reduce cart abandonment, improve delivery accuracy, and ensure post-sale
communications reach the right people.
Experian saw a 4% growth in address validations and an 80% increase in email validations compared to the previous year. A clear sign that retailers are prioritising data quality to meet demand and deliver at scale. Validated data helps retailers reduce fraud
risk, maintain accurate records, and improve customer experience, all while protecting the bottom line.
Strengthen your business offering
As we head into the final stretch of the year, retailers have an opportunity to turn seasonal shoppers into long-term customers. Accurate data plays a key role in supporting smooth digital transactions, helping businesses reduce delivery issues, limit fraud,
and maintain reliable communication with their customers.
Retailers should also consider the strength of their financial foundations. Maintaining a good business credit score can unlock growth opportunities with access to top loan rates. To improve scores, retailers ought to keep tabs on their business credit report
to understand the positive and negative factors in their history and plan the best path for progress.
Furthermore, as the year draws to a close, noting suppliers’ payment terms and filing annual returns on time can also help improve retailers’ credit scores – laying the groundwork for a confident start to 2026.
