Retail sales were broadly flat in the month of August but did increase year on year, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
The data for the month of September showed retail sales were steady at 0.0% when compared with August, which saw a 0.2% downturn and a 0.4% uptick in July.
However, year-on-year sales in September increased 3.4% in terms of value and 3.1% in terms of quantity, with growth across all sectors except for department stores and household goods.
In terms of rolling three-month figures, the end of summer saw moderate growth of 0.6% up to September compared with the previous three months, where all sectors within non-food reported declines.
Online sales increased 9.1% year on year in September 2019 compared to the previous year. By contrast, internet sales fell 2% in August.
As a total proportion ecommerce accounted for 19.1% of all sales in September.
ONS head of retail sales Rhian Murphy said: “Retail sales growth remained steady in the latest three months, following strong summer online sales.
“Food shops bounced back after a weak few months, but there was yet more bad news for department stores with sales continuing to fall in September.”
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