The UK retail sector recorded an unexpected rise in September due to increased sales of technology items, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics on Friday.
Retail sales rose by 0.3 percent on a month-to-month basis in September, defying forecasts that anticipated a 0.3 percent decline. This represents the third consecutive month of growth, following a 1.0 percent increase in August and a 0.8 percent rise in July.
Similarly, retail sales excluding auto fuel grew at a more moderate rate of 0.3 percent, down from a 1.1 percent increase in the prior month. Projections had expected a decrease of 0.3 percent.
Sales in food stores fell by 1.9 percent, attributed to exceptionally poor weather conditions and a reduction in spending on luxury food products. Sales of auto fuel decreased by 0.1 percent.
In contrast, retailers in the computer and telecommunications sectors contributed to the growth of non-food store sales. Overall, non-food store sales, which include department, clothing, household, and other non-food stores, experienced a 2.5 percent increase.
Year-on-year, retail sales in September saw an increase of 3.9 percent, the highest growth rate since February 2022, and surpassing the forecasted rise of 3.2 percent following a 2.3 percent increase in August.
When excluding auto fuel, retail sales exhibited a growth of 4.0 percent, following a previous month’s increase of 2.2 percent.
Additionally, data indicated that online spending grew by 1.3 percent in September compared to the previous month, and online sales rose significantly by 6.7 percent compared to September 2023.
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