Key Notes
- Retail sales volumes in Great Britain fell 0.4% in September after an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in August.
- Sales still rose 0.7% across the third quarter, supported by fuel and food-store volumes.
- Warm weather weighed on seasonal clothing demand, while the amount spent rose 0.3% despite fewer goods being bought.
British retail sales volumes fell 0.4% in September as supermarkets and online clothing retailers lost momentum, official figures released on October 23 showed. Unusually warm weather weighed on demand for autumn and winter ranges, while some stores also reported lower footfall and customers cutting back.
The monthly decline followed an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in August. However, the Office for National Statistics reported that sales volumes rose 0.7% across the third quarter, leaving a more mixed picture than the September fall alone suggests.
For retailers and investors, the release separates several forces that can otherwise be confused: changes in the quantity of goods purchased, the amount of money spent, unusual weather and the underlying quarterly trend.
The Monthly Fall Does Not Erase Quarterly Growth
Sales volumes in July–September were 1.5% higher than a year earlier. September’s volumes were up 0.8% annually, despite falling from August.
The quarterly increase was supported by fuel and food-store sales. Fuel volumes recovered from weakness in the second quarter, while supermarkets performed well in July and August. Retailers selling alcohol and beverages cited promotions, warm weather and the World Cup as factors supporting sales over the summer.
September then reversed some of those gains. Supermarket sales fell to slightly below June’s level, and non-store retailing weakened after a strong August. The figures therefore describe a softer end to a growing quarter, rather than an uninterrupted three-month decline.
The ONS revised August’s monthly gain from 0.5% to 0.7% and July’s decline from 0.5% to 0.4%. Those revisions change the recent comparison and reinforce the value of assessing the monthly data alongside the smoother three-month measure.
Warm Weather Disrupts Clothing Sales
Online clothing retailers told the ONS that autumn and winter ranges sold poorly in unseasonably warm conditions. The bulletin noted that September 2026 was jointly the fourth-warmest September on record, citing the Met Office.
The timing matters for businesses that have already bought seasonal inventory. A delayed change in the weather can shift purchases between months, while leaving retailers to decide how long to hold stock or whether to use promotions. The release does not quantify the eventual effect on individual companies’ profits.
Non-food store volumes fell 0.4% during September. Clothing and footwear stores and sports-equipment retailers reported weaker sales, with businesses citing lower footfall and consumers reducing purchases. Household goods also declined, largely because of weaker hardware sales.
Automotive fuel moved in the opposite direction: volumes rose even as pump prices continued to increase. That followed an August decline, when retailers had suggested drivers were partly filling their tanks in response to higher prices.
Spending Rises Even as the Quantity Bought Falls
The total amount spent in stores and online rose 0.3% during September, while the inflation-adjusted quantity purchased fell 0.4%. Consumers therefore spent more money in aggregate without buying a greater volume of goods.
The gap illustrates why revenue and demand are not interchangeable. Price changes and the mix of products purchased can lift cash receipts even when physical purchasing weakens. The difference between the two headline rates should not be treated as a standalone estimate of consumer-price inflation.
Online spending values fell 0.4% from August but remained 6.8% above September 2025. Online sales represented 28.8% of total retail spending, slightly below August’s revised 28.9% share.
Across the quarter, online values fell 0.1% from the preceding three months and rose 7.4% annually. These are spending-value measures, distinct from the volume estimates used to describe the overall retail trend.
What the Release Means for Retailers and the Economy
The figures cover retail goods in Great Britain, rather than all household consumption across the UK. Spending on services is outside this retail measure, so the monthly decline cannot by itself establish that the wider economy contracted.
The data are seasonally adjusted, removing estimated regular calendar and seasonal patterns. Unusual conditions can still affect sales, and retailers’ explanations help interpret the movement without proving that a single factor caused the whole decline.
September’s survey received responses from 59.1% of sampled forms, representing 92.4% of turnover coverage. Like other early economic estimates, the release can be revised as information improves.
For listed retailers, subsequent trading updates will help show whether the change in clothing demand was delayed spending or a more persistent restraint. Our earnings calendar tracks upcoming corporate results that can be read alongside official demand indicators.
The immediate conclusion is narrower than a broad consumer downturn: September was weak, summer-supported quarterly growth remained positive, and households’ cash spending and purchasing volumes moved in different directions.
