FX.co ★ UK Retail Sales Unexpectedly Rise

In September 2025, UK retail sales volumes surprisingly increased by 0.5% month-on-month, exceeding the forecasted decline of 0.2%. This upward movement followed a revised growth of 0.6% in August, marking the fourth successive monthly increase and elevating sales to their highest since July 2022. This growth was primarily fueled by a 0.9% rise in non-food stores, with clothing stores particularly contributing to this increase. Additionally, non-store retailers showed strong performance, while on-store retailer sales surged to their peak since February 2022, driven by robust demand for gold from online jewellers. Over the third quarter, sales volumes rose by 0.9% quarter-on-quarter and were 1.0% higher compared to the previous year. Favorable weather conditions in July and August had a positive impact, especially on clothing sales and non-store activities. Online sales values also saw a 1.4% increase month-on-month and a 5.6% rise compared to the previous year, marking the eighth consecutive monthly gain.