UK retail sales unexpectedly fell in September as “unseasonably warm weather” led to a big drop in clothing sales.
The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed retail sales dropped by 0.3 per cent compared to August, although the figure was 2.7 per cent higher than in September 2013.
The amount spent by consumers on retail items fell even further, down 0.6 per cent compared to August, as people not only bought fewer items but bought cheaper items as well.
The ONS said the textile, clothing and footwear sector put the biggest downward pressure on the figures, as sales fell by 7.8 per cent compared to August.
Retailers have blamed the warmer than usual weather in September for this decrease in sales because it “delayed purchases of autumn and winter clothing”.
