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The oldest UK retail business survey running today, the Distributive Trades Survey (DTS) provides a time series stretching back over 35 years. Both CBI members and non-members in retail, wholesaling and motor trades across the UK fill out the DTS, including those who sell predominantly online. It contains the earliest released UK retail sales data, coming out weeks before official data. The insights are particularly valuable during the current period of structural change in the retail sector.

It allows for unique insight into how issues such as digital disruption and value-conscious consumers are impacting retailers and other parts of the distribution sector.

The survey is followed by market analysts, economists, businesses and policymakers as an important bellwether for the retail sector and consumer spending habits, and it is weighted to ensure it is fully reflective of the whole distribution sector. Capturing business sentiment in the way it does the survey provides a powerful early signal to inform economic outlook forecasts for the UK's distribution sector.

Take part in the latest survey

Read a summary of the April 2024 survey results

Survey Snapshot


Frequency

Monthly

Launched

1983

Sectors

Retail, wholesaling and motor trades


Outputs

Headline indicators

Time series data

Publication

What you can do next


  • Join the CBI’s survey panel icon

    Join the CBI’s survey panel

    All survey participants benefit from complimentary survey results and economic intelligence, helping your business to better understand the marketplace. The panel is made up of the wide range of businesses. Membership of the CBI is not a requirement.

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    Sponsor a survey

    Establish your business as a thought leader. Raise your company profile with the media, business leaders, as well as the Treasury and Bank of England, who monitor our intelligence closely, by aligning your brand with the CBI and our highly regarded economic insight.

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    License the survey’s economic data and content

    Be the first to receive our intelligence. The time series of the survey data is sent straight to your inbox the minute embargoes are lifted.

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