A warm start to autumn and the ongoing cost of living crisis were among the factors behind a drop in UK retail sales in September.
Sales volumes fell by 0.9% last month following a rise of 0.4% in August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
Shoppers delayed spending on clothes for the colder months due to the warm autumnal conditions, said ONS chief economist Grant Fitzner.
“However, September’s unseasonable warmth did help drive up food sales a little, and fuel sales rebounded from last month’s fall.”
Cost of living pressures also held back spending.
“As mortgages, rents and fuel costs continued to weigh on households, sales were impacted for big ticket items such as computers, electricals and larger household appliances,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium.
Dickinson added that with the festive season approaching, “retailers are hopeful that easing inflation we have seen in recent months will boost consumer confidence”.
