TCF POST Report
LONDON, 23 October 2026: Clothing and footwear retailers in Great Britain had a weak September. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that clothing and footwear stores saw sales volumes fall over the month. Retailers blamed lower footfall and customers cutting back.
Online clothing retailers fared no better. Mail order and non-store retail sales fell in September after a strong August. Retailers said their new autumn and winter ranges, released in September, did not perform well because of unseasonably warm weather. The Met Office ranks September 2026 as the joint fourth-warmest on record.
Weak clothing sales contributed to a wider dip. Total retail sales volumes fell 0.4% in September after a 0.7% rise in August. Supermarket sales also fell, partly because of lower-than-usual clothing sales. Non-food stores overall were down 0.4% on the month. Sports equipment stores fell alongside clothing and footwear, and household goods stores fell largely because of weaker hardware sales.
The longer view is better. Retail sales volumes rose 0.7% in the third quarter (July to September) compared with the second quarter. Fuel and food stores drove that growth, helped by warm weather and the World Cup. Sales volumes were 1.5% higher than in the third quarter of 2025.
Online spending values fell 0.1% in the quarter but remained 7.4% above a year earlier. The share of retail sales made online slipped from 28.9% in August to 28.8% in September.
