UK retail sales growth slowed in September as consumers remained cautious about spending ahead of the Autumn Budget, with clothing and footwear among the weaker-performing categories.
Total UK retail sales increased by 1.3% year-on-year in September, down from growth of 2.3% in the same month last year and below the 12-month average of 1.5%, according to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG.
The figures follow separate data showing that discretionary retail sales fell by 0.3% in September, marking their weakest performance for the month since 2019, excluding the pandemic period.
Food sales rose by 2.5%, compared with 4.3% growth in September 2025, while non-food sales increased by just 0.3%, down from 0.7% a year earlier.
The BRC said clothing and footwear had a weak month as unseasonably warm weather dampened demand, although back-to-school spending provided some support.
Linda Ellett, UK Head of Consumer, Retail & Leisure at KPMG, said September’s figures pointed to increasingly selective consumers, with shoppers prioritising some categories while postponing purchases elsewhere.
“Fashion faced a particularly difficult September and while the prolonged summer has supported clothing and footwear, it may have delayed the move into autumn and winter wardrobes,” she said.
In August, Barclays reported that clothing sales had risen by 0.9% year-on-year, with 41% of consumers saying they were eager to wear autumn clothing.
Ellett added that the approaching Black Friday promotional period could encourage some shoppers to delay purchases in anticipation of discounts, presenting a further challenge for retailers as the golden quarter begins.
Separate figures from Barclays showed overall card spending rose by 2% year on year in September, slightly below August’s 2.1% increase. Essential spending increased by 2.5%, outpacing the 1.8% rise in non-essential spending, driven partly by a 17.3% increase in fuel spending.
Clothing spending fell by 1.3%, despite transaction volumes increasing by 3.8%, suggesting consumers were spending less overall on the category.
BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson said consumer confidence remained fragile ahead of the Autumn Budget on 28 October, warning that another rise in business rates could put further pressure on prices, high-street investment and jobs.
“The Chancellor cannot promise to ease the cost of living while piling more costs onto the retailers working to keep prices down,” she said.
“With confidence fragile, this Budget is a critical test. Retailers will do everything they can to protect value for customers, but Government must play its part.”
Barclays said confidence in household finances reached a seven-month high of 67% in September. However, 68% of those surveyed remained concerned about the potential impact of the Budget on their finances.
Jack Meaning, Chief UK Economist at Barclays, said caution ahead of the Budget was also evident in business surveys, adding that rising inflation and tight financial conditions were beginning to squeeze spending power. He said the bank would be watching closely to see whether consumer resilience could continue into the winter.