Retail sales, Great Britain: September 2026

The quantity of goods bought (volume) in retail sales is estimated to have risen by 0.7% in Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2026, compared with Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2026. Fuel sales rose following lower sales in Quarter 2, while warm weather helped sales of food and beverages in Quarter 3.

Retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 0.4% in September 2026. This follows a rise of 0.7% in August 2026 (revised up from a 0.5% rise in our previous bulletin), and a fall of 0.4% in July 2026 (revised up from a 0.5% fall in our previous bulletin). Mail order retail sales fell in September 2026 as online clothing retailers suggested that sales of autumn and winter ranges were affected by the warmer weather. Supermarket sales also fell following growth in July and August 2026.

In the three months to September 2026 (Quarter 3), sales volumes: 

• rose by 0.7% compared with the three months to June 2026 (Quarter 2) 

• rose by 1.5% compared with the three months to September 2025 (Quarter 3) 

In September 2026, sales volumes: 

• fell by 0.4% over the month, following a rise of 0.7% in August 2026 

• rose by 0.8% compared with September 2025

These data are available in our Retail Sales Index dataset.

Sales volumes rose by 0.7% in Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2026 compared with Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2026. Fuel sales volumes fell in April as retailers suggested that motorists made fewer journeys and delayed filling their tanks as prices rose. Sales have since recovered gradually, with all three months of Quarter 3 2026 reporting higher volumes than all three months of Quarter 2 2026.

Food stores sales volumes rose on the quarter as supermarkets had increased sales in both July and August 2026. Retailers selling alcohol and beverages reported high sales volumes from June to September 2026. Increased sales were attributed by retailers to promotions, the warm weather, and the World Cup. Non-store retailers’ sales volumes also rose, after Quarter 2 was affected by lower sales in April 2026.

Total sales volumes (including automotive fuel) fell by 0.4% over the month to September 2026. Supermarket sales volumes in September 2026 fell to slightly below June sales volumes, following rises in July and August. The fall in September was partly because of lower-than-usual clothing sales.

Non-store retailers' sales volumes also fell following high sales volumes in August 2026. Online clothing retailers commented that the release of autumn and winter ranges in September 2026 did not perform well because of the unseasonably warm weather. The Met Office Weather and Climate summaries reported that 2026 had the joint-fourth warmest September on record.

Non-food stores sales volumes (the total of department, clothing, household, and other non-food stores) fell by 0.4% on the month. Clothing and footwear stores, alongside sports equipment stores (within other non-food stores) fell in September 2026, which retailers attributed to lower footfall and customers cutting back. Household goods stores also fell on the month, largely because of a decline in sales volumes for hardware retailers.

Against this trend, automotive fuel volumes rose on the month despite fuel prices continuing to rise. This followed a fall in August 2026, when retailers suggested motorists may be only partially filling their tanks in response to the renewed price increases.

The amount spent online, known as “online spending values”, fell by 0.1% in Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2026 compared with Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2026. Online spending values rose by 7.4% compared with Quarter 3 2025.

Within the monthly series, online sales values fell by 0.4% over the month to September 2026, down from a rise of 3.0% in August, but were 6.8% higher compared with September 2025.

The total spend (the sum of in-store and online sales) rose by 0.3% over the month. As a result, the proportion of sales made online fell from 28.9% in August 2026 to 28.8% in September 2026.

For September 2026, the Retail Sales Index (RSI) survey response rates were 59.1% based on returned forms, which is 0.3 percentage points below the average of the past 12 months. This accounted for 92.4% of total turnover coverage of the sample population, 5.1 percentage points above the average of the past 12 months. Historical response information is available in our Retail sales quality tables dataset.

Information on how we calculated the data, including strengths and limitations, and a glossary of relevant terms, is available in our Retail Sales Index quality and methodology information (QMI) report.

Seasonal adjustment

Seasonally adjusted estimates are derived by estimating and removing calendar effects (for example, Easter moving between March and April), and seasonal effects (for example, increased spending in December because of Christmas) from the non-seasonally adjusted estimates.

We use the X-13ARIMA-SEATS approach to seasonal adjustment. Seasonal adjustment parameters are monitored closely and are regularly reviewed. Improvements following our full annual seasonal adjustment review were last implemented as part of the June 2026 release. More information is available in our Seasonal adjustment methodology.

Seasonal adjustment is applied at the industry level, and the seasonally adjusted series are aggregated to create estimates by industry sector and total retail. As part of our quality assurance approach, residual seasonality checks are completed regularly by our time series analysis team on both the seasonally adjusted series and the indirectly derived aggregate time series.

Based on current data, we find no residual seasonality in the main aggregate for monthly retail sales estimates. We have separately published our comprehensive methodology on How the Office for National Statistics (ONS) assesses statistical outputs for residual seasonality.

Consultation on release times for market sensitive economic statistics

We are reviewing the release times for our market sensitive economic statistics, such as Retail sales. This review will consider whether the current arrangements continue to best serve the public good, support user needs and align with the principles set out in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

We are running a consultation to gather evidence on the impact of different release times. The consultation asks how you use market-sensitive economic statistics, your views on potential release time options, and any other considerations. Please note that this consultation will be closing on Friday 30 October 2026.

Accredited official statistics

These accredited official statistics were independently reviewed by the Office for Statistics Regulation in March 2015. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled "accredited official statistics".