Retail sales rose by 0.9% in the third quarter between July and September, partly driven by the warm summer weather.

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), retail sales volumes rose by 0.5% in September, after a 0.6% increase in August.

On a year-over-year basis, UK retail sales increased by 1.5% in September 2025.

Retail sales volumes at food stores grew by 0.1% during the quarter but decreased by 0.1% on a monthly basis.

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The data also found that online sales at food store retailers increased by 1.9% during the quarter.

Kevin Taylor, director of retail at NTT DATA UK&I, said: “September’s 0.5% rise in sales volumes is a nice pat on the back, but it’s well within expected tolerance.

“The bigger story is the 0.9% growth over the quarter: it’s the strongest run we’ve seen since 2022, and it’s a much more reliable indicator of retail health.”