Shop sales fall 0.4% in September as warm weather leaves winter coats on the rails
Official figures show clothing, supermarket and online sales all slipped last month, although the summer as a whole was stronger than spring.
The amount of goods bought in shops and online across Great Britain fell by 0.4% in September, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday. Clothing took the biggest hit, as an unusually warm month gave few people a reason to buy autumn and winter ranges.
The ONS said the fall was driven by lower sales at clothing retailers, a drop at supermarkets and weaker trade at online and mail order businesses. The figures measure volumes, which means they strip out the effect of rising prices and show how much people actually bought.
The weather effect. The Met Office has recorded September 2026 as the joint fourth warmest September on record. Online clothing sellers told the ONS that their new season stock sold poorly as a result, and footwear and sports equipment shops also reported fewer sales. Some retailers said fewer people were coming through the door and that customers were cutting back.
Supermarkets slip back. Food sales had a good summer, with promotions, sunshine and the World Cup all helping in July and August. In September they dropped back to a level just below where they were in June.
Fuel bucks the trend. Sales of petrol and diesel went up in September, even though prices kept rising. The ONS said this followed a weak August, when many drivers only part-filled their tanks.
The bigger picture
Taken over the three months to September, sales volumes were 0.7% higher than in the previous three months, and 1.5% higher than the same period a year earlier. Compared with September 2025 alone, volumes were up 0.8%.
The ONS also revised its earlier figures. August's rise is now put at 0.7%, up from 0.5%, and July's fall is now 0.4% rather than 0.5%.
In cash terms, the picture was a little brighter. Total spending in shops and online rose 0.3% over the month, because people were paying more for what they did buy. Online spending fell 0.4% after a strong August but was still 6.8% higher than a year ago. Online sales made up 28.8% of all retail spending, almost the same as the month before.
What comes next
The figures add to signs that households are feeling the squeeze ahead of the Budget on 28 October. A separate GfK survey published the same day showed consumer confidence fell sharply in October.
Retailers will be watching October trading closely, as it is the start of the run-up to Christmas and the point at which colder weather usually lifts sales of coats, boots and heating products. The ONS will publish its October retail sales figures on 20 November.
