October saw a dip in UK fashion sales, attributed to unusually mild weather which delayed winter purchases.
- Overall UK retail sales grew modestly by 0.6% year-on-year in October, less robust than the previous year’s growth of 2.6%.
- In-store non-food sales experienced a decline, while online non-food purchases saw a slight increase, marking a shift in consumer buying behaviour.
- The timing of the school half term and uncertainty around the Budget influenced consumer spending patterns in October.
- Despite downturns in fashion, health and beauty sales remained strong, driven by the popularity of beauty advent calendars.
In October, fashion sales in the UK experienced a decrease, a trend attributed to the mild weather which deterred consumers from making winter purchases early. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) highlighted this weather impact as a significant factor in the lagging sales figures for the fashion sector.
The overall growth in UK retail sales was recorded at 0.6% compared to the previous year. This figure is significantly lower than the 2.6% growth observed in the same period last year. Such growth rates were also below the averages seen over the past three and twelve months, indicating a slowdown in retail growth momentum.
A deeper look into non-food sales reveals a contrasting pattern between in-store and online shopping. In-store non-food sales saw a depreciation of 1.2% over the three months leading to October, reflecting reduced consumer footfall. Conversely, online non-food sales experienced a 0.4% increase, highlighting a gradual shift towards online shopping during this period. This was further emphasised by the rise in online penetration rates from 36.2% to 36.9%.
Retail sales data for October were influenced by the staggered timing of the school half-term break, which occurred later than usual, impacting consumer spending habits. Uncertainty ahead of the looming Budget, coupled with rising energy costs, also contributed to a more cautious consumer market. These factors together led to a subdued retail environment for the month.
Although fashion sales faced challenges, the health and beauty sector bucked the trend. The sector saw robust performance, notably with health and beauty advent calendars showing strong sales. This resilience highlighted the varying impact of external factors across different retail sectors.
Retail sales in October were notably affected by milder weather and economic uncertainties, with fashion suffering the most while health and beauty remained resilient.
