Fashion sales across the UK fell last month as consumers delayed their Winter purchases due to the milder weather.
This is according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which has reported that during the four weeks from 29 September to 27 October 2024, non-food UK retail sales witnessed a minor decline of 0.1 per cent YoY. And of that, physical store non-food sales decreased by 1.2 per cent YoY.
Online non-food sales saw an uptick of 0.4 per cent YoY in October.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said that after a good start to Autumn, October’s sales growth was “disappointing”.
“Uncertainty during the run-up to the Budget, coupled with rising energy bills, also put off some consumers. Fashion sales took the biggest hit as the mild weather delayed Winter purchases.”
Referring to the recent Budget announcement by the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, Ms Dickinson said: “Retailers must now grapple with over £5bn of new costs, including Employer National Insurance, Business Rates and the uplift in the National Living Wage. Managing this will hold back investment and growth in the short term, while further squeezing already-low margins and risking inflation.”
However, the BRC did report that overall UK retail sales experienced a slight year-on-year increase of 0.6 per cent in October. This was less than the most recent three-month 1.3 per cent average growth and 12-month growth of one per cent.
