British retail sales decline more than expected in October

ISTANBUL

The UK retail sales volume dropped more than expected in October, falling 1.1% on a monthly basis, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday.

The figure exceeded market expectations of a 0.1% decline and followed an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in the previous month.

This ended a four-month consecutive expansion run in sales, ONS said.

In October, supermarket sales volumes fell for the second month in a row, according to the data.

Clothing store sales also declined after a recent record high in September 2025, with retailers reporting that consumers held back in preparation for Black Friday discounts.

Mail order (online) retailers within non-store retailing also dipped on the month, in part because of online clothing retailers. Some online retailers also mentioned delayed spending in the lead-up to Black Friday.

In October on an annual basis, retail sales volumes rose 0.2%, well below estimates of a 1.5% rise.

Additionally, in the three months to October, sales volumes rose 1.1% compared to the previous period and were up 0.4% year-on-year.