Britain’s high street retailers have had the strongest September since 2012, according to new sales figures, giving shop owners confidence ahead of a critical trading period leading up to Christmas.
Research released by business advisory firm BDO showed an overall like-for-like sales increase of 2.9 per cent in September – the strongest growth in any month since April 2014. The figures arrived as somewhat of a surprise, with previous reports predicting low footfall for the month.
Retail experts attributed carefully discounted lines to positive clothing and fashion sales, which rose by 2.7 per cent last month.
Commenting on the figures, Sophie Michael, head of retail and wholesale at BDO, said two consecutive months of positive growth would be a “welcome relief” for retailers after poor Autumn sales in recent years.
“Pulling off the best September sales growth for five years is a great result for the high street at the start of this critical trading period,” she added.
