Retail Sales, September 2011 - Summary

Retail Sales Index Points

Source: Monthly Business Survey - Retail Sales Inquiry - Office for National Statistics

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Retail Sales in September

Year on year, all retail sales saw:

• the volume of sales increase by 0.6 per cent between September 2010 and September 2011

• the value of sales increase by 5.4 per cent between September 2010 and September 2011

Month on month, all retail sales saw:

• the volume of sales increase by  0.6 per cent between August 2011 and September 2011

• the value or sales increase by 0.8 per cent over the same period

Concentrating on sales volumes between September 2010 and September 2011, upward pressure to all the retailing figures came from non-store retailing which increased by 15.5 per cent and provides 0.8 percentage points. Fuel also increased by 2.8 per cent and provides 0.3 percentage points.

Downward pressure came from predominantly non-food stores which decreased by 0.7 per cent and provides -0.3 percentage points, driven by decreases in textile, clothing and footwear stores which decreased by 2.1 per cent and other stores which decreased by 1.6 per cent. Predominantly food stores also decreased by 0.3 per cent and provides -0.1 percentage points.

Non-seasonally adjusted year on year sales volumes in large and small stores increased by 0.2 and 2.1 per cent respectively.

During September 2011, approximately 31.9 billion pounds was spent on retail goods, up from 30.3 billion in the same month last year. 

Source: Office for National Statistics

Background notes

1. 1. The September 2011 period covered five weeks from 28 August 2011 to 1 October 2011.
   2. Care should be taken when using monthly growth rates due to their volatility.
   3. Retail sales volume is the total takings adjusted for inflation and the value of retail sales is the total actual takings.
   4. Unless specified otherwise, all volume statistics referred to above are seasonally adjusted and chainlinked.
   5. Sales refer to average weekly sales.
   6. The “All Retailing” estimate includes the sale of automotive fuel
   7. You may use or re-use this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.
   8. These National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

2. Details of the policy governing the release of new data are available by visiting www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html or from the Media Relations Office email: media.relations@ons.gsi.gov.uk

   These National Statistics are produced to high professional standards and released according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.