A 0.4% monthly contraction in Great Britain’s retail sales volumes left September lower than August, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, although third-quarter activity still exceeded the prior quarter.
The monthly decline was steeper than the 0.1% fall FXStreet and Newsquawk cited as the market expectation. The ONS bulletin did not give a forecast of its own. The agency revised August’s increase to 0.7% from 0.5%.
By the quarter, the direction remained positive: sales volumes in July through September rose 0.7% from April through June. The quarter’s total was 1.5% above the same three-month period a year earlier, while September’s volume was 0.8% above its year-earlier level.
Retail categories had mixed results in September. Mail-order sales declined, and online clothing retailers cited milder weather as a factor weighing on demand for fall and winter ranges. Supermarket sales also fell after increasing in July and August.
The figures cover England, Scotland and Wales, rather than the whole United Kingdom. The ONS said, “Monthly growth rates can be volatile,” and advised considering monthly changes alongside the three-month trend. The September drop and quarterly increase reflect those different comparison periods.
The ONS is scheduled to publish its next retail sales release on Nov. 20, 2026.
