Retail sales show returning confidence

Retail sales in September rose 2.8% like for like as consumer confidence trickles back, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC).

shoppers

The BRC-KPMG Sales Monitor showed that total sales rose 4.9% over September last year but warns that comparisons are against weak performance.

Food sales continued to slow reflecting lower food price inflation while clothing, footwear and homewear sales were boosted by a return of consumer confidence and improvements in the housing market.

Non-food, non-store sales which include online, mail order and phone sales continue to outpace store sales, up 11.9%on September last year compared to 7.9% up in August.

British Retail Consortium director general Stephen Robertson says: “For some customers confidence is trickling back. As we enter the important run-up to Christmas, these results give some room for optimism. But consumer sentiment is volatile and could weaken again and, throughout the final quarter, all the comparisons will be with poor figures last year when total sales growth dropped below zero.”

In August, like for like sales fell 0.1% on the previous year against total sales growth of 2.2%