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UK Consumer Spending Report
View our latest insights on how spending patterns are changing across the UK.
Barclays UK Consumer Spend Report gives you a unique and up to date picture of the nation’s spending habits based on the actual transactions, bringing it to life so you can take action and shape your strategy.
Our latest report looks at UK consumer spending patterns for the 17th August 2024 to 20th September 2024.
September key insights
Consumers found room for little luxuries and treats within their budget in September, with strong performances for both Clothing and Entertainment, while spend on essential items reduced slightly.
Head of Client Insights, Barclays
Essential card spending decreased -1.7% in September 2024 when compared to this time last year. This is a fall compared to the year-on-year growth in August 2024 (1.6%). Spending on Grocery, an Essential spend category, fell into decline (-0.8%) as consumers looked to reduce spend on household items.
Non-Essential card spending increased by 2.7% in September 2024 when compared to this time last year. This is the highest year-on-year growth since September 2023 (4.0%), with increased consumer confidence driving spend growth across a number of categories.
Fuel spend was down -10.4% in September 2024, significantly lower than August 2024 (-2.4%). This downward trend comes as we are making a comparison with a period when fuel prices were at record highs, due the invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in global fuel supply issues.
Increased consumer confidence boosts spend across a number of categories
Overall Retail spending grew 1.1% in September 2024, an uplift compared to the year-on-year growth of 0.1% in August 2024. This increase was driven by a rise in spend growth on Clothing, with the category seeing its first uplift (4.5%) since November 2023, and its highest growth since July 2022. This comes as retailers’ discounting and promotional activity incentivised consumers during back-to-school season, while consumers are becoming more confident in their ability to spend on what matters most to them, with 53% saying there are treats and luxury purchases they continue to buy, even when trying to budget.
Spend in the overall Hospitality & Leisure sector also increased in September 2024, up 5.1%, representing an uplift compared to the year-on-year growth in August 2024 (3.8%). This was predominantly fuelled by the Entertainment sector, with spend increasing by 14.4% in September 2024 after tickets for the long-anticipated Gallagher brothers’ tour reunion went on sale. This is the highest uplift recorded since July 2023 (15.8%), when the pre-release window for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour resulted in a surge in spending.
Hospitality and Leisure
Entertainment spend surges as consumers snap up tickets for the Oasis Live tour
The Entertainment sector had a particularly strong month in September 2024, with spend increasing by 14.4%, the highest uplift recorded since July 2023 (15.8%), when the pre-release window for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour resulted in a surge in spending.
This was driven by a rise in spending on Shows & Concerts, which grew 35.8% year-on-year, after tickets for the long-anticipated Gallagher brothers’ tour reunion went on sale. Spend on the day of general release was six times the rest of the month’s average daily spend. This was despite 45% of consumers noticing dynamic pricing coming into effect, where companies raise prices during peak times or when demand is higher.**
Meanwhile, cinemas saw growth of 18.2% in the month, amid the success of blockbusters such as ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ and ‘It Ends With Us’. On the other hand, Bars Pubs & Clubs saw limited growth, at 0.6% in September 2024 compared to 3.2% in August 2024. This comes as 40% of consumers who are cutting their discretionary spending say that they will reduce their spend on drinking out.**
The Entertainment sector had a strong month in September, as consumers snapped up tickets for the long-anticipated Oasis Live ‘25 reunion tour, whilst spend on at-home experiences also increased, as the darker, cooler evenings set in.
Head of Hospitality and Leisure, Barclays Corporate Banking
Spend on at-home experiences rise, as the darker, cooler evenings set in
Spend on ‘Insperiences’ (at-home experiences) increased by 4.3% in September 2024, an uplift compared to August 2024 (3.0%), signalling a return to indoor experiences as the darker, cooler evenings set in.
This was reflected in the Digital Content & Subscriptions category, with spend rising by 10.6%, an uplift compared to August 2024 (8.9%), as streaming platforms released popular series such as ‘Emily in Paris’ and ‘The Perfect Couple’. Consumers also enjoyed shopping from the comfort of the couch in September 2024, as online retail spending (excluding groceries) increased by 3.5%, after declining -0.8% August 2024.
Retail
Clothing spend returns to growth for the first time since November 2023
Overall Retail spending increased by 1.1% in September 2024, a marked improvement after the sector endured a challenging summer, as retailers’ discounting and promotional activity incentivised consumers during back-to-school season.
Notably, spend at Clothing retailers increased by 22.0% month-on-month and 4.5% year-on-year, marking the first uplift for the category this year, and the highest growth seen since July 2022 (8.9%). Department Stores also had a positive month, with spend increasing by 5.5% in September 2024, the largest uplift since August 2023 (11.4%).
In addition to being encouraged by markdowns, consumers are feeling more confident in their ability to spend on what matters most to them, with 53% saying there are treats and luxury purchases they continue to buy, even when trying to budget. Those prioritising new clothes and accessories (24%) spend and average of £73 each month, while beauty spenders (18%) fork out £65. This is reflected in the 8.9% spend boost Pharmacy, Health & Beauty retailers enjoyed in September 2024, the largest uplift since January 2023 (10.2%).**
The Retail sectors recovery emerged as a bright spot in September, despite there being colder weather and darker evenings on the horizon, with retailers’ discounting and promotional activities incentivising consumers.
Head of Retail and Wholesale, Barclays Corporate Banking
Supermarket spend falls as consumers reduce essential spending
Spend growth at Supermarkets fell -1.1% in September 2024, a fall compared to August 2024 (1.5%). This comes as 70% of consumers say they are looking for ways to get more value from their weekly shop or reduce how much they spend, an increase compared to August 2024 (66%), and higher than the 2024 average for this data point (67%).**
Of this group, 47% are looking out for loyalty scheme discounts and deals, whilst 46% are using vouchers or loyalty points to get money off their shopping. This comes as 39% of consumers say they are trying ‘slow shopping’, and being more intentional and discerning with their purchases.**
Barclays Market and Customer Insights
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We can help you keep up-to-date with spending trends, monitor your market position and enhance your understanding of customer behaviour, based on actual customer spending.
Leveraging anonymised data from our 250 million monthly customer transactions in the UK can help you understand who your customers are and how, when, and where they spend.
Contact the Barclays Market and Customer Insights team
Appendix
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Spend growth Transaction growth Essential -1.7% -1.5% Non Essential 2.7% 2.3% Overall 1.2% 0.8% Retail 1.1% 0.5% Clothing 4.5% 6.3% Grocery -0.8% -0.9% Supermarkets -1.1% -2.0% Food & Drink Specialist 2.7% 4.9% Household -1.9% 2.6% Home Improvements & DIY -5.0% -6.3% Electronics 0.7% 9.4% Furniture Stores 0.3% 8.0% Garden Centres 1.7% 3.3% General Retailers 4.2% 2.2% General Retailers & Catalogues 5.4% 3.4% Department Stores 5.5% 8.4% Discount Stores -5.7% -7.5% Specialist Retailers 3.4% 0.1% Pharmacy, Health & Beauty 8.9% 1.8% Sports & Outdoor -1.7% -3.8% Other Specialist Retailers 1.5% -0.7% Hospitality & Leisure 5.1% 1.7% Digital Content & Subscription 10.6% 7.2% Eating & Drinking 1.0% -1.7% Restaurants, Cafes and Bakeries 1.4% -1.8% Bars, Pubs & Clubs 0.6% -1.9% Takeaways and Fast Food 0.8% -1.5% Entertainment 14.4% 8.3% Hotels, Resorts & Accomodation 2.8% -0.1% Travel 7.0% 4.7% Travel Agents 9.2% 14.6% Airlines 9.3% 5.0% Public Transport -0.5% 0.2% Other Travel 7.3% 14.0% Other -3.9% -0.8% Fuel -10.4% -7.0% Motoring -7.6% 6.2% Other Services 1.7% 3.2% Insperience 4.3% 2.4% Online 3.7% 5.1% F2F -0.7% -0.9% -
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Data source
Barclays debit card and Barclaycard credit card transactions in the UK.Data range
The spending data in this report relates to the period 17th August 2024 to 20th September 2024.
Inclusion criteria:
Customers aged at least 16 in the relevant period. Active customers using card payments in the relevant period (excluding spending on banking products, i.e. mortgages, loans, savings, utilities, tax and gambling).Spending growth calculation:
Percentage difference between total spend per customer in the period 17th August 2024 to 20th September 2024 and total spend per customer in the period 19th August 2023 to 22nd September 2023.Spending categorisation:
- Essential: Childcare, healthcare, insurance, grocery, fuel and public transport spend.
- Other food and drink: cafes, bakeries and any other food and drink establishments that cannot be classified.
- Entertainment: gym memberships and leisure activities such as cinema, family days out, sports and theatre.
- General retailers: selling a wide range of different products, e.g. department stores, catalogue shops, online marketplaces.
- Specialist retailers: selling a particular category of goods, e.g. toy shops, jewellers, sports shops.
- Other services: education, legal, insurance, childcare, post office / delivery, charities and personal services, e.g. hairdressers.
- Insperience: Digital Content & Subscriptions, Takeaways & Fast Food, Hobbies, Crafts & Collections and Online Food & Drink Specialist retailers.**
Note: Starting October 2024, Barclays will report the growth of consumer spending on ‘Restaurants, Cafes and Bakeries’, which is a combination of two former categories: ‘Restaurants’ and ‘Other Food and Drink’. Distinctions between established restaurant chains (previously reported as ‘Restaurants’) and other forms of eateries (e.g. independent restaurants, food stalls, caterers and cafes – previously reported as ‘Other Food and Drink’) have become increasingly blurred, and Barclays believes that the combined ‘Restaurants, Cafes and Bakeries’ category is a better representation of consumer spending on dining out more broadly.
*CPIH: Consumer Prices Index^ including owner occupiers' housing costs,
** Denotes a comment from the consumer confidence survey. The consumer confidence survey in this press release was carried out between 20th and 25th September 2024 by Opinium Research on behalf of Barclays. There were 2,000 respondents, providing a representative sample of UK consumers by age, gender, region, and income group.
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