The monthly inquiry into retail sales is a sample survey carried out by the Office for National Statistics on 5,000 businesses in Great Britain, including large retailers and a representative panel of smaller businesses.

From this survey the Retail Sales Index (RSI) is compiled each month. This is a key indicator in the progress of the economy, and is indirectly used to calculate quarterly consumer spending on retail goods and the output of the retail sector which feed into the compilation of the National Accounts.

The RSI has been rebased using detailed information from the 2000 Annual Inquiry. The Index has also been reclassified on to the Standard Industrial Classification of economic activities 2003.

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