Electrical goods contribute to September’s retail growth
September retail sales increased by 1.5%, with DIY and Household goods contributing to the fifth consecutive month of growth.
Data from the Office for National Statistics showed an increase of 5.5% in overall sales when compared with February’s pre-pandemic level. While food sales have done well in recent months, it is non-food store sales which stand out, having now made a recovery at 1.7% above February levels.
Volume sales in household goods stores and “other” non-food stores increased to 11.0% and 10.7% above February, respectively. Feedback from household goods stores showed that home improvement sales from DIY and electrical goods stores did well in recent months and helped with the recovery of sales.
Looking at the three-month on three-month picture, a strong rate of growth – 17.7% and 17.4% for value and volume sales respectively – was recorded.
This is the biggest quarterly growth seen on record as sales recovered from the low levels experienced earlier in the year.