UK retail sales grow 1.3 per cent, below their annual average

UK retail sales value rose 1.3 per cent over the year in the September BRC-KPMG monitor, below the latest twelve-month average. Food sales grew faster than non-food sales. Online purchases accounted for a slightly larger share of non-food spending, while clothing and footwear were weak. The five-week survey measures money spent at current prices rather than the quantity of goods sold.

Economics & Markets·October 13, 2026·Midday

10:23 UTC

September growth trails the twelve-month average

UK retail sales increased 1.3 per cent from a year earlier in September, according to the British Retail Consortium, the UK retail trade association, and KPMG. Growth was below the latest twelve-month average of 1.5 per cent and last September’s 2.3 per cent increase.^{[1], [2]}

The monitor covers the five weeks from August 30 to October 3. It tracks the value of purchases at current prices. Price effects are not removed, so the increase cannot be read as an equivalent rise in the quantity of goods sold.^[1]

Food grows faster than non-food sales

Food sales rose 2.5 per cent over the year, compared with 4.3 per cent in the year-earlier period and a twelve-month average of 3.1 per cent. Non-food sales rose 0.3 per cent, after 0.7 per cent growth last September. Health and beauty products were relatively strong; clothing and footwear were weak in the trade association’s assessment.^[1]

Online non-food purchases gain a little share

In-store non-food sales grew 0.1 per cent and online non-food sales 0.7 per cent. The online channel’s share reached 38.3 per cent, up from 37.9 per cent a year earlier. That share was also slightly above its twelve-month average of 38.1 per cent. Both channels’ annual sales growth was slower than in the same period of 2025.^[1]

September growth trails the twelve-month average

Food grows faster than non-food sales

Online non-food purchases gain a little share

References

More analysis from this desk