UK retail sales rose over the third quarter but fell back in September, as unseasonably warm weather boosted summer food and drink sales while hitting demand for autumn clothing.
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed retail sales volumes rose 0.7% in the three months to September compared with the previous quarter, helped by recovering fuel sales and strong demand at food stores.
Sales of alcohol and other drinks were particularly strong, which retailers linked to promotions, the warm weather and the World Cup.
However, sales fell 0.4% in September alone, after a rise in August. Online clothing retailers said warm weather had hurt sales of their autumn and winter ranges, while supermarket and clothing sales also dipped. Retailers reported lower footfall and customers cutting back on clothing, footwear and sports equipment.
Compared with a year earlier, sales were up 1.5% over the quarter and 0.8% in September.
“Few people think about splashing out on a new winter coat when temperatures are still balmy and the mild start to this autumn unsurprisingly impacted September’s retail sales,” said Danni Hewson, AJ Bell head of financial analysis.
“But the scale of the fall was surprising, with sales down 0.4% despite back-to-school and work pressures which meant motorists had to swallow their discomfort at high fuel prices and fill up their tanks.
“Fuel sales were back to pre-spring levels, before the conflict in the Middle East pushed up petrol and diesel prices, with the latter hitting a record high over the month.”