Great Britain’s retail sales fall 0.4% in September
Official figures show a 0.7% fall excluding fuel, with higher fuel purchases offsetting some weakness ahead of next week’s UK budget.
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Official figures show a 0.7% fall excluding fuel, with higher fuel purchases offsetting some weakness ahead of next week’s UK budget.
Retail sales volumes in Great Britain fell 0.4% in September 2026 compared with August, exceeding economists’ forecast of a 0.1% decline. Excluding fuel, the fall was 0.7%, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures reported by the Guardian on 23 October. Volumes measure the quantity bought, rather than the money spent.
The decline followed a stronger August than previously estimated: the ONS revised that month’s growth from 0.5% to 0.7%.
Non-store retailing, which is predominantly online, recorded the largest percentage fall across retail sectors. The Guardian attributed part of the overall decline to unseasonably warm weather weakening online sales of autumn and winter clothing. It also reported that weather-related weakness in clothing sales contributed to the supermarket decline.
| Sector | Monthly change |
|---|---|
| Non-store retailing, predominantly online | −2.2% |
| Textile, clothing and footwear stores | −0.9% |
| Household goods retailers | −0.5% |
| Supermarkets | −0.4% |
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| +2.2% |
Fuel purchases offset some of the decline elsewhere. The quantity of motor fuel sold rose 2.2%, while its sales value rose 6.1%. The larger value increase measures money spent at the pump, not an equivalent increase in the amount of fuel bought.
Analysis
Paul Dales, chief UK economist at Capital Economics, said September’s sales decline and October’s sharp fall in consumer confidence showed households facing tougher conditions ahead of the festive trading period. He said they supported his firm’s forecast that consumer spending and economic output, after adjusting for inflation, would stop growing in the fourth quarter of 2026 and the first quarter of 2027.
The UK budget is due next week, the Guardian reported on 23 October.
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