The value of retail sales in October rose 1.6% year on year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The volume of goods bought rose 0.6% year on year last month although both the quantity bought and the amount spent decreased following increases between August and September.

The estimated average weekly spend across all retailing in October 2012 was £6.8bn compared with £6.6bn in September 2012 and £6.7bn in October 2011.

The estimated prices of goods sold in the retail sector were estimated to have increased by 0.9% since October 2011 driven by food price inflation.

The proportion of online sales increased by 0.5% between September 2012 and October 2012. Compared with a year ago, the estimated proportion of online sales increased by 0.8%. In October 2012, the estimated average weekly spend online was £562m.