London: The UK retail sales volume dropped more than expected in October, falling 1.1% on a monthly basis, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said on Friday. The figure exceeded market expectations of a 0.1% decline and followed an upwardly revised 0.7% increase in the previous month.

According to Anadolu Agency, this marked the end of a four-month consecutive expansion in sales, as reported by the ONS. In October, supermarket sales volumes fell for the second month in a row, based on the latest data.

Clothing store sales also experienced a decline after achieving a record high in September 2025, with retailers indicating that consumers were holding back in anticipation of Black Friday discounts. Mail order (online) retailers within non-store retailing also saw a dip in sales for the month, partly due to a decrease in online clothing sales. Some online retailers pointed to delayed consumer spending ahead of Black Friday as a contributing factor.

On an annual basis in October, retail sales volumes increased by 0.2%, which was significantly below the estimated 1.5% rise. Additionally, in the three months leading up to October, sales volumes rose by 1.1% compared to the previous period and were up by 0.4% year-on-year.