Retail sales continue to fall

Shoppers continued to shun the high street with sales volumes falling for the fifth consecutive month – the longest continuous stretch on record, according to official statistics.

The drop was due to a fall in sales volumes in non-food stores, with lighting and furniture businesses the hardest hit, the Office for National

Statistics (ONS) said.

Sales volumes in September were down 0.2%, following a 0.6% fall in August, although they remain 4.2% above pre-pandemic levels in February 2020.

Food sales volumes were up by 0.6%, the ONS added.

But while shoppers opted to avoid high streets, sales online continued to rise and now account for 28.1% of all spending - up from 27.9% in August.

There was a particular surge in department store sales online, up by 3.8%, meaning nearly 10p in every £1 spent online goes to the likes of John Lewis, Debenhams or House of Fraser, the ONS said.