High street sales pushed higher last week, industry research showed on Friday, as delayed autumn spending finally looked to have got underway.
According to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like sales rose by 5.51% in the week ending 24 September. That compares to a 1.33% uplift in the same week a year previously, which included a bank holiday to mark the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
It was the highest in the last five weeks, with positive results both in-store and online. BDO said sales had been “possibly enhanced by an onset of autumn season spending”, as temperatures fell. There was also heavy rainfall across much of the country.
The unseasonably warm weather to this point in the UK and beyond has knocked the retail sector. On Wednesday, Swedish fashion giant H&M Group said sales were set to fall by 10% in local currencies this month after the hot weather delayed people buying warmer clothes and coats.
BDO sale in-store sales were ahead 8.57% last week, while non-stores sales rose 2.73%.
The biggest driver was demand for lifestyle items, with sales up 10.03%, while fashion sales were 1.06% stronger. Homewares rose 7.14%.
Footfall was up 5.5% on the equivalent week a year previously. Within that, retail parks saw the biggest spike, up 10.6%, followed by shopping centres – ahead 9.3% – and high streets, which reported a more modest uptick of 1.2%.
