The slowdown contributed to a broader easing of retail sales growth, which reached 1.3% year on year, below last year’s 2.3% and under the 12-month average.
Sales data covering the five weeks to 3 October revealed that while total retail spending saw modest gains, clothing and footwear categories were among the weakest performers.
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The sector’s struggles were compounded by consumer caution linked to looming increases in household bills and taxes.
“Retail sales growth remained subdued in September as households are still cautious with their spending ahead of expected rises in household bills and taxes. Clothing and footwear had a weak month as unseasonally warm weather weakened demand, but back-to-school spending saw a boost,” commented British Retail Consortium’s chief executive Helen Dickinson.
KPMG’s UK head of consumer, retail and leisure, Linda Ellett, added that fashion had faced a difficult month as consumers directed their budgets towards “selected” categories and postponed other purchases.
“September’s retail sales figures point to an increasingly selective consumer,” Ellet explained. “Overall sales increased, driven by food, but non-food sales were essentially flat and have declined slightly across the last three months.
“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.”
During the five weeks from 30 August to 3 October 2026, non-food sales, which include clothing and footwear, increased by just 0.3%.
In-store non-food sales managed a marginal 0.1% increase, stabilising after a year marked by negative growth.
Online non-food sales rose by 0.7%, falling short of the 1.0% increase seen last year and underperforming against the 12-month average. The online share of non-food purchases edged higher to 38.3%.
Ellett said upcoming Black Friday promotions could prompt some consumers to postpone spending, placing additional emphasis on pricing and margins as retailers enter the final quarter.
“With the Black Friday promotional period approaching, some consumers will inevitably be questioning whether today’s purchase might be cheaper tomorrow. That creates an important test for retailers as the Golden Quarter begins,” she added.
“If some of September’s weakness represents deferred rather than lost demand, there remains an opportunity to unlock spending, but retailers will need to balance customers’ increasing appetite for value against the need to protect margins.”
