Food sales in the UK rose by 7.4% on a total basis over the three months to September. Credit; Raul Gonzalez Escobar on Unsplash.

Total retail sales in the UK grew by 2.7% in September 2023, according to data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC)-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.

The figure was below the 12-month average growth of 4.2% and was consistent with the three-month average growth of 2.7%.

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Over the three months to September, food sales in the UK rose by 7.4% on a total basis, a decrease compared to the 12-month average growth of 8.4%.

During this period, non-food sales dropped by 1.2% on a total basis and the figure is below the 12-month average growth of 0.6%.

BRC data also revealed that in-store non-food sales increased by 0.3% on a total basis over the three months to September.

The figure is below the 12-month average growth of 3.2%.

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For the five weeks covering 27 August – 30 September 2023, online non-food sales decreased by 3.6%, compared to a decline of 2.6% in the same month last year.

The proportion of non-food items purchased online dropped to 34.9% in September from 35.1% in the corresponding period last year.

British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson OBE said: “Sales growth in September slowed as the high cost of living continues to bear down on households. Big ticket items such as furniture and electricals performed poorly as consumers limited spending in the face of higher housing, rental and fuel costs. The Indian summer also meant sales of autumnal clothing, knitwear and coats have yet to materialise.

“With sales volumes down, growth has been artificially boosted by high inflation over the last two years. As inflation eases, so too will longer-term sales growth prospects. The coming months are crucial for retailers as they enter the “Golden Quarter” and they’re investing heavily to support customers and bring prices down.”

Recently, BRC said that total retail footfall in the UK slowed down by 2.9% last month on a year-on-year basis.