Retail sales grow for sixth months running but lockdown expected to slow rate in November

Better-than-expected rise

Retail sales volumes in the UK rose by 1.2% in October, the Office for National Statistics said on Friday (20 November), the sixth consecutive month of increases.

The growth came in well ahead of consensus expectations, which were for sales to remain flat, with DIY and household furnishing stores benefiting from consumers' move to improve their living space. Most sectors have rebounded to above their pre-Covid levels, with clothing and fuel the only areas languishing below February's reading. The Big Question: What now for the UK as Lockdown 2.0 gets under way? The figures take into account the period before the current lockdown measures were introduced across England, in which non-essential stores were once more forced to close. Capital ...