Retail gross sales slip as buyers await Funds and Black Friday
Retail gross sales volumes fell by 1.1% in October 2025, the primary month-to-month drop since Might, as retailers reported that many patrons held off spending within the run-up to Black Friday.
The autumn adopted a revised 0.7% rise in September and a 0.5% enhance in August. Supermarkets, clothes shops and mail order retailers all noticed decrease volumes in October, with a number of citing delayed buying as shoppers waited for reductions.
Volumes in October had been 0.2% increased than a yr earlier however remained 3.3% beneath their degree in February 2020, earlier than the coronavirus pandemic.
Story Stream:
Extra on Retail Gross sales
-
UK gross sales enhance 1.1% in March because of good climate enhance
-
Richemont’s jewelry maisons enhance Q3 gross sales
-
Diamond market stays secure however cautious in 2025
-
BRC warns of 2025 falling gross sales quantity regardless of December gross sales progress
-
H&T Pawnbrokers revenue earlier than tax jumps to £9.9m
On-line gross sales values additionally declined on the month, down 0.8% within the first fall since January, although they had been 4.8% increased than in October 2024. Whole spending throughout in-store and on-line channels fell by 0.9% in October, leaving the share of on-line gross sales unchanged at 28.1%.
Over the broader three-month interval, gross sales volumes rose by 1.1% in contrast with the three months to July 2025 and had been 0.4% increased than in the identical interval a yr earlier. The summer time efficiency was supported by clothes shops, which peaked in September, and by pc and telecommunication retailers, which benefited from new product launches.
Non-store retailers continued to point out three-month progress, with some on-line jewellers reporting stronger demand for gold in September.
ONS Chief Economist Grant Fitzner mentioned: “Retail gross sales grew strongly within the three months to October. This was primarily as a result of sturdy clothes gross sales all through, peaking in September. Tech shops did effectively, with sturdy buying and selling from new product launches persevering with into October.
“Nonetheless, in October alone month-to-month gross sales fell again for the primary time since Might. Supermarkets, clothes shops and on-line retailers all noticed slower gross sales, with suggestions from some retailers that customers had been ready for November’s Black Friday offers.”
