LONDON, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Britain's retail sales volumes fell by 1.1 percent in October 2025, marking the first monthly decline since May amid restrained consumer spending, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed Friday.
The fall followed a 0.7 percent rise in September, and October's volumes were 3.3 percent lower than the pre-pandemic level in February 2020, according to the ONS.
"Supermarkets, clothing stores and online retailers all saw slower sales, with feedback from some retailers that consumers were waiting for November's Black Friday deals," said Grant Fitzner, chief economist at the ONS.
Supermarket sales volumes fell for the second consecutive month. Britain's consumer price index rose by 3.6 percent year on year in October, still almost twice the Bank of England's 2 percent target. The annual inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages edged up further to 4.9 percent, earlier data showed.
Britain's consumer confidence remains subdued amid persistently high inflation. GfK's consumer confidence index fell by two points to -19 in November, with declines across all fields, including the general economic situation, personal financial situation and the major purchase index.
"This is a bleak set of results as we head towards next week's Budget," said Neil Bellamy, consumer insights director at GfK. "A fall across all five measures suggests the public is bracing for difficult news, with little in the current climate to lift expectations."
The drop in the major purchase index is particularly troubling at this time of year, suggesting households are tightening their grip just as retailers enter a crucial trading period, Bellamy said, calling for the Budget to provide timely clarity and reassurance that consumers are struggling to find on their own. ■
