Warm weather in September hits autumn coat sales

Retail sales fell more than expected in September as shoppers held back buying autumn clothing amid unseasonably warm weather, official figures show.

Consumers also struggled with cost of living pressures, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Around the world, September was the warmest on record due to ongoing global warming, and the El Niño weather event.

Sales volumes fell 0.9% in the month, the ONS said, while economists had predicted a 0.2% fall.

Grant Fitzner, the ONS chief economist, said sales “fell notably” in September as the quick pace of price rises put shoppers off, “particularly for sales of non-essential goods”.

“It was a poor month for clothing stores as the warm autumnal conditions reduced sales of colder weather gear.

“However, September’s unseasonable warmth did help drive up food sales a little,” he said.

Mr Fitzner added that fuel sales rebounded from a fall in August.

In the UK, last month was the joint-hottest September on record, according to the Met Office.

One scientist described the warm weather, which in the UK included a heatwave at the start of the month, as “absolutely gobsmackingly bananas”.

The weather contributed to a 1.9% fall in trade at non-food stores.

Clothing and department stores both saw a 1.6% decline in the month, as sales of new autumn lines including coats, jackets and knitwear, were hit by the weather.

People also held back from buying expensive items such as jewellery and watches, and also furniture and lighting, due to cost-of-living pressures, the ONS said.