Great Britain Retail Sales Rise 0.8% Year Over Year, Miss Market Forecast

Retail sales volumes in Great Britain grew 0.8% from September 2025 but fell 0.4% from August, putting annual growth 0.2 percentage point below a market-calendar forecast.

The seasonally adjusted measure tracks the quantity of goods bought, rather than the value of sales. The series covers England, Scotland and Wales, excluding Northern Ireland.

August’s monthly increase was revised to 0.7% from an earlier estimate of 0.5%. Across the third quarter, volumes rose 0.7% from the second quarter and 1.5% from the same quarter of 2025.

Mail-order retailers and supermarkets recorded declines in September. Online clothing retailers said warmer weather affected sales of autumn and winter ranges.

Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, Deloitte’s head of retail, said: “The drop in retail sales in September suggests that consumers are tightening their purse strings.”