ONS: Retail Sales Volumes At Highest Level In In Three Years

• Retail sales rose in the three months to September 2025, according to a first estimate by the Office for National Statistics.

The quantity of goods bought (volume) in retail sales is estimated to have risen by 0.9% in Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2025 when compared with Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2025. Good weather in July and August helped clothing sales in Quarter 3, while non-store retailers showed sustained monthly rises over both quarters.

Retail sales volumes are estimated to have risen by 0.5% in September 2025, following an increase of 0.6% in August 2025 (revised up from a 0.5% rise in the previous bulletin). Computer and telecommunications retailers’ sales volumes grew strongly alongside continued growth among non-store retailers, where online jewellers reported strong demand for gold.

Retail Sales in September

• Sales volumes hit their highest level since 2022

Sales volumes rose by 0.9% in the three months to September 2025 (Quarter 3) compared with the three months to June 2025 (Quarter 2). When compared with Quarter 3 2024, sales volumes rose by 1.0%

Sales volumes rose by 0.5% over the month during September 2025, following a 0.6% rise in August, and rose by 1.5% over the year to September 2025.

Volumes were down by 1.6% compared with their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic level in February 2020.

Retail Sector Volumes

• Sales volumes rose in Quarter 3 2025 with strong performances by clothing and non-store retailers

Sales volumes rose over Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2025, with good weather in July and August 2025 helping sales of clothing. Non-store retail also had a good quarter, as mail order retailers experienced their eighth consecutive monthly rise. This was partly offset by poor sales volumes of automotive fuel across the quarter.

Total sales volumes rose over the month to September 2025, marking the fourth consecutive monthly rise and bringing volumes to their highest level since July 2022. Non-food stores (the total of department, clothing, household, and other non-food stores) rose by 0.9%. Among other non-food stores, computer and telecommunications retailers grew strongly.

Sales volumes for non-store retail also rose in September 2025, hitting their highest level since February 2022. A notable contributor to this rise was online jewellers reporting a strong demand for gold.

Online Retail Values

• Monthly online sales rose for the eighth consecutive period in September 2025

The amount spent online, known as “online spending values”, rose by 3.5% when comparing Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2025 with Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2025, and by 5.0% when comparing with Quarter 3 2024.

With the monthly series, sales values rose by 1.4% over the month to September 2025, and by 5.6% when comparing September 2025 with September 2024.

Total spend (the sum of in-store and online sales) rose by 0.7% over the month. As a result, the proportion of sales made online increased from 27.8% in August 2025 to 28.0% in September 2025.

Source : ONS

Image : William Barton / Shutterstock / 1184182105

For all the very latest news and intelligence on the UK's largest home improvement and garden retailers, sign up for the Insight DIY weekly newsletter.