UK retail sales fall 0.4% in September as warm weather hits clothing

Summarised from 5 outlets · 7 reports · Updated 23 Oct, 08:32 · Archive

UK retail sales volumes fell 0.4% in September, worse than the 0.1% forecast, as warm weather suppressed demand for autumn and winter clothing.

UK retail sales volumes fell 0.4% in September, according to the Office for National Statistics, worse than the 0.1% decline economists had forecast. The fall follows a 0.7% rise in August, which was revised upwards from an earlier estimate of 0.5%.

Warm weather in September suppressed demand for autumn and winter clothing lines. Clothing and footwear retailers saw sales fall 0.9% for the month. Food stores also struggled, posting a 0.4% decline representing the weakest performance for four months, though this followed growth in July and August boosted by hot summer weather.

Motor fuel sales rose 2.2% despite higher prices, as demand continued recovering from the spike in early 2026 linked to Middle East tensions. Hannah Finselbach, senior statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said motor fuel had 'returned to monthly sales levels last seen before the start of the conflict in the Middle East'.

For the third quarter of 2026 overall, retail sales volumes were up 0.7% compared with the previous three-month period, with growth led by motor fuel and food and drink sales. The ONS noted that food and drink growth was 'partly helped by the warm weather and the World Cup', though sales fell back slightly in September.

City AM reported that consumer confidence had suffered its biggest fall since the Brexit vote in 2016, with GfK's consumer confidence index falling 11 points to -24 in September ahead of Chancellor John Healey's first Budget on 28 October. Retailers have warned of struggling consumer sentiment and called on the government for tax relief on business rates and employer national insurance contributions.

How it is being reported

• UK retail sales drop after warm weather hits winter clothing demandThe Office for National Statistics said retail sales volumes fell by 0.4% in September, compared with the previous month.Independent Business · 23 Oct, 09:12
• Retail sales in Great Britain fall as struggling households cut backLatest negative economic update comes as John Healey is due to announce budget next week Business live – latest updates Retail sales in Great Britain fell more steeply than expected last month, the latest negative economic update before the chancellor, John Healey, announces his budget next week. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the volume of goods sold fell 0.4% month on month in September, much steeper than economists’ consensus expectations of a 0.1% fall. Continue reading...The Guardian · 23 Oct, 08:34
• Clothing sales crunch hit high street in September as summer lingered and drivers struggled with surging pump pricesOfficial figures showed retail sales volumes down 0.4 per cent in September, worse than the 0.1 per cent analysts had expected.Daily Mail · 23 Oct, 08:15
• UK retail sales drop after warm weather hits winter clothing demandThe Office for National Statistics said retail sales volumes fell by 0.4% in September, compared with the previous month.Independent Business · 23 Oct, 08:09
• Retail sales fall faster than expected ahead of BudgetRetail 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 [...]City AM · 23 Oct, 07:37
• UK retail sales drop after warm weather hits winter clothing demandThe Office for National Statistics said retail sales volumes fell by 0.4% in September, compared with the previous month.Independent Business · 23 Oct, 07:23
• UK retail sales drop after warm weather hits winter clothing demandThe Office for National Statistics said retail sales volumes fell by 0.4% in September, compared with the previous month.Evening Standard · 23 Oct, 07:23

In this story: Office for National Statistics · Hannah Finselbach · John Healey · GfK · PwC UK · Capital Economics · UK

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem