The UK economy entered 2025 with cautious optimism, showing early signs of recovery after years of stagnation. Real GDP grew by 0.5% in February and 0.6% over the preceding three months, driven mainly by the services sector, particularly retail and wholesale. Forecasts suggest GDP growth could reach 1.7% in 2025, up from 0.8% in 2024, though global trade tensions -especially new US tariffs – pose significant risks. The IMF warns these tariffs could reduce US GDP by 1% and global GDP by 0.5% through 2026, with the UK vulnerable due to its reliance on global supply chains. A $1.4 trillion global economic loss is projected, with UK retail and wholesale facing slower exports, inventory delays, and volatile import prices.
Despite these challenges, retail and wholesale remain vital to the UK economy, employing 3.7 million people and contributing £112 billion in 2024. Retail alone supported 2.7 million jobs across over 320,000 businesses. Although the sector rebounded to pre-pandemic output by 2020, growth has since been subdued. Wholesale, often overlooked, plays a key role in supporting trade and supply chains.
Investment in IT has surged, with digital transformation reshaping operations. Retailers and wholesalers are adopting AI, automation, and omni-channel strategies to enhance efficiency and customer experience. AI is widely used for demand forecasting, inventory management, and personalised marketing. In wholesale, digital platforms and real-time logistics have improved responsiveness and reduced costs. However, R&D spending growth has slowed, indicating a focus on proven technologies over speculative innovation.
Looking ahead, the sector’s resilience and digital adaptability position it well to navigate economic uncertainty. Continued investment in technology is expected to drive productivity, strengthen supply chains, and support sustainable growth, even amid global trade disruptions and evolving consumer behaviour.
SHARE :
This Excel document contains the latest market figures on the German SITS market with regard to the Retail & Wholesale sector.
Event Date : August 18, 2025
This document contains the detailed findings for Poland from PAC’s SITSI® CxO Investment Priorities Survey 2024/25, in which IT decision-makers in ...
Event Date : September 08, 2025
This vendor profile gives a comprehensive overview of the Worldwide positioning, performance and strategy of Amadeus.
Event Date : November 26, 2024
This short vendor profile provides a quick overview of the local portfolio and performance of CGI in the US.
Event Date : March 28, 2025
With the passing of privacy laws in the EU under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the world has gone on a privacy spree, rethinking ...
Event Date : February 02, 2023
Seidor - Figures - Spain – FY 31-Dec-2024
Datamart November 06, 2025 NEW 
Seidor - Vendor Profile - Spain
Vendor Profile November 06, 2025 NEW
TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) - Figures - Finland – FY 31-Mar-2025
Datamart November 06, 2025 NEW
TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) - Vendor Profile - Finland
Vendor Profile November 06, 2025 NEW
Retail & Wholesale - InSight Analysis - Germany
Market Reports November 05, 2025 NEW
Atos: Cause for Optimism, Despite the Headlines
Blog Post February 05, 2024
Key Takeaways from Google Cloud Day Romania 2025
Blog Post November 06, 2025
Blog Post November 05, 2025
Orange Business Is Transforming Its Business Model
Blog Post November 04, 2025
Part 6: From Blueprint to Reality – Implementing Core Controls for Data and Application Security
Blog Post November 04, 2025
Hitachi Digital Services builds the bridges to cross the Agentic AI chasm
Blog Post October 31, 2025
