UK retail sales unexpectedly fall in October

dl london shopping crowd street retail footfall shops oxford street commuters pedestrians pb — Sharecast / Ch AFleks via Pixabay

Retail sales unexpectedly fell in October as wet weather and the cost-of-living crisis took their toll, according to data released on Friday by the Office for National Statistics.

Retail sales declined by 0.3% on the month following a revised 1.1% drop in September, missing expectations for a 0.3% increase.

The fall was due mainly to a 2% decline in automotive fuel sales volumes. Food store sales volumes were down 0.3%, while non-food store sales were 0.2% lower. Non-store retailing was the only main sector to report growth in sales volumes over the month, up 0.8%.

Over the three months to October, sales volumes fell by 1.1% when compared with the previous three months.

Heather Bovill, deputy director for surveys and economic indicators at the ONS, said: "Retail sales fell again in October to their lowest level since February 2021 when widespread lockdown restrictions were in place.

"After rebounding in September, fuel sales dipped with increasing prices discouraging customers, while food sales also dropped as consumers prioritised essential goods.

"It was another poor month for household goods and clothes stores with these retailers reporting that cost-of-living pressures, reduced footfall and poor weather hit them hard.

"However, it was a better month for online retailers, the only main sector to report growth in October."