Year on year retail sales, excluding petrol, rose 3.3% by value and 1.8% by volume in September the Office for National Statistics reported.

Month on month the value of sales rose 0.6% and volume was flat. On a three-month basis, the year on year increases were 3.2% and 2.2% respectively.

Non-food retail sales rose 4% by value and 3.8% by volume in September compared with the same month last year. Textile, clothing and footwear sales rose 6.1% by value and 4.8% by volume over the same period.

Food sales were up 1.7% by value while volume was down 2.3% year on year.

Household goods stores suffered a 2.3% sales decline by value and volume fell 2%.

The ONS said the estimated total value of retail sales was £30.5bn in September.