British Retail Sales Fall 0.4% in September After August Rise

Retail sales volumes in Great Britain fell 0.4% in September, official figures released on Friday, 23 October, showed. The decline followed a stronger August, whose growth was revised up to 0.7% from an earlier estimate of 0.5%.

The monthly setback did not erase the quarter's gains. The quantity of goods bought rose 0.7% in July-September compared with April-June. September sales volumes were also 0.8% above their level a year earlier, the Office for National Statistics said.

Online clothing retailers told the ONS that unusually warm weather held back sales of autumn and winter ranges. Supermarket volumes also declined after increases in July and August.

Non-food store volumes fell 0.4% over the month, including weaker clothing, footwear and hardware sales. Fuel volumes moved the other way, rising despite further increases in pump prices.

The amount spent tells a different story from the quantity bought: total retail spending rose 0.3% in September, while online spending fell 0.4%. The volume figures strip out price changes, so higher spending alone does not mean shoppers bought more goods.

Source: Office for National Statistics, September retail sales.

Archival photo: Oxford Street, London, 2016. Fred Romero / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped to 16:9 by Morval Universal.