Store sales productivity hits record high as shoppers spend more per square foot

UK retailers are generating more sales from their stores than ever before. Sales per occupied square foot reached a record high in the second quarter of 2026.
Retail sales per occupied square foot climbed to £61.92 in the three months to June, up 23 per cent from £50.39 in the final quarter of 2019, as retailers squeezed more revenue from an unchanged amount of shop space.
Excluding fuel and online sales, consumers spent £105.3bn in physical stores during the second quarter, ni