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In September 2024, retail sales in Great Britain totalled £8.7 billion per week, down from £8.8 billion in August. This figure includes money spent in shops, supermarkets, in petrol stations and online.

Between August and September, the total quantity of retail sales volumes increased by 0.3%, following an increase of 1.0% between July and August.

In the three months to September 2024, the volume of sales rose by 2.6% compared to the same period last year. The volume of sales rose by 1.9% in the three months to September 2024 compared with the previous three months. The volume of sales was 0.2% lower in September 2024 compared to February 2020 and pre-pandemic levels.

Sales in food stores fell by 1.9% in September compared to August. Feedback from retailers indicated poor weather and consumers cutting back on luxury food items as reasons for this fall.

Sales in non-food stores, such as clothing and department stores, rose by 2.5% between August and September. This increase was most pronounced among computer and telecommunication retailers.

The average weekly value of internet sales was £2.6 billion in September 2024 (excluding fuel). This was 27.7% of all retail sales. Internet sales as a proportion of all retail sales have been rising steadily since 2006, reaching around 19% of all sales in 2019. Internet sales rose sharply in April 2020 with the onset of the pandemic.

This briefing is part of our Economic Indicators series. Visit the main Economic Indicators page to see data on other parts of the economy.


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