UK retail sector bounces back, shows BRC-KPMG data

Retail sales in the UK in September grew 2.6% compared to the same month last year on a like-for-like basis, as strong non-food performance was boosted by strong a weak comparative period for clothing last year and a later bank holiday this time.

In total, retail sales rose 3.9%, the fastest growth since January 2014, or 5.8% adjusted for deflation.

Looking at the broader three-month sales figure from July to September, total retail sales grew by 2.2% with a continued large disparity between non-food and food categories.

Non-food surged 3.7%, ahead of the category's 12-month average of 3.3%, while food crawled only 0.2% higher, which was in line with the 12-month average.

On a LFL basis over the three-month period total sales were 1.1% higher, with non-food up 3.1% and food down 1.4%.‎

Non-food was driven by strong growth in furniture, clothing and footwear, which was put down to the shift to more autumnal weather at the start of the month - in contrast to the mild conditions in September last year that hit fasion sales.

“Despite the start of the Rugby World Cup encouraging people to get the beers and burgers in, food and drink sales showed no signs of accelerating in the three months July to September," said David McCorquodale, head of retail at KPMG.

"Grocers will be hoping that consumers will continue to revel in the atmosphere in spite of England’s early exit from the tournament.

“Moving into the final quarter of 2015, retailers will be keeping a watchful eye on Christmas with the launch of festive campaigns starting to wet consumers’ appetites and Black Friday expected to be big again.”

Online sales of non-food products also picked up after a lacklustre August, growing by 14.2% in September versus last year.

Broker Shore Capital's analysis of the numbers implied positive read-across for the likes of Carpetright, Marks & Spencer and Next.

Analyst Clive Black said he hoped to see "more experience, maturity and rationality this year" from the UK's approach to the Black Friday phenomenon.