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In October 2020, retail sales in Great Britain totalled £8.2 billion per week, up from £7.7 billion in September. This figure includes money spent in shops, supermarkets, in petrol stations and online.

Over the year to October, the total volume of retail sales increased by 1.2%. Between September and October, the quantity of retail sales rose by 1.5%, compared with an increase of 1.2% between August and September.

The volume of sales in food stores in the three months to October 2020 was up 3.3% on the same period last year. Non-food store sales have now recovered to pre-pandemic levels (2.6% above where they were in February), although the volume of sales in non-food stores was down 0.4% in the three months to October compared to last year. Clothing stores remain at the lowest level among non-food stores, with sales volumes still 13.8% below February levels.

The average weekly value of internet sales was £2.3 billion in October 2020, up 59.7% on the year. This was 28.1% of all retail sales, up from 26.1% in September 2020.

Internet sales as a proportion of all retail sales have been rising steadily since 2006, though this trend appeared to be ending since the beginning of 2019, with internet sales plateauing at around 20% of all sales. Internet sales have now been over 25% of all retail sales since April, reflecting changes in shopping habits as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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