Early data from Nationwide suggests the UK retail sector may be on the brink of a major surge. Nationwide Bank is expecting 20.6 million transactions on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 December — marking a potential increase in consumer activity as shoppers rush to complete their festive buying. Retail surge driven by last-minute festive demand The imminent surge is part of a broader trend of strong seasonal demand. Nationwide’s prediction shows a 6.39% rise compared with the same dates in December 2024. This ...

Group 1 - The company has not yet settled on the view regarding the pull forward in Q2 and the seasonality for Q2, Q3, and Q4 [1] - The CEO indicated that the anticipated pull forward in Q2 did not materialize as expected, with a slow start in July but finishing above seasonal expectations in terms of volume [2] - Volumes have remained steady, but August was characterized as somewhat below seasonal expectations, indicating a tight band of demand without significant fluctuations [3]