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UK Retail Sales Fall by 0.4% in September
Warm autumn weather curbed demand for clothing and supermarkets, while retail sales still rose 0.7% over the quarter, the ONS said.
- British retail sales fell 0.4% in September, according to the Office for National Statistics reported Friday. The decline was steeper than the 0.1% drop economists had predicted.
- Warmer weather dragged on demand for autumn and winter clothing, weighing on online vendors and supermarket volumes last month. However, the ONS noted total sales volumes rose 0.7% for the third quarter of 2026.
- Motor fuel sales rose 2.2% in September, returning to levels seen before the conflict in the Middle East began, ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach stated. Growth was led by fuel despite recent price increases.
- Consumer confidence suffered its sharpest month-on-month fall since the COVID-19 pandemic, as shoppers remain cautious ahead of next week's Budget announcement by finance minister John Healey. Uncertainty weighs on near-term spending.
- Major retailers including Tesco and Sainsbury have recently upgraded annual profit guidance, though they warn of increased inflation pressure in 2027 and challenging consumer conditions ahead. Mixed signals complicate the outlook.
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Retail sales fall faster than expected ahead of Budget
Retail sales fell at a faster pace than expected in September, new figures have shown, as consumer confidence suffered a major drop ahead of the Budget. Total sales at retailers fell 0.4 per cent in September, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), a bigger drop than the 0.1 per cent forecast by City [...]
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources17
Leaning Left2Leaning Right1Center5Last UpdatedBias Distribution63% Center
Bias Distribution
- 63% of the sources are Center
63% Center
L 25%
C 63%
12%
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