(ONS) The UK posted a 0.2% fall in retail sales in September, after another 0.6% decline in August. The retail sales remained 4.2% above February 2020 at the onset of coronavirus.
Non-food stores had a 1.4% decline in retail sales. Food stores reported a 0.6% increase in retail sales to remain 3.9% above the pre-pandemic level.
Sales of automotive fuel rose by 2.9% on robust demand in September, with levels now 1.8% higher than the pre-pandemic sales.
Online retail sales maintained a surge, reaching 28.1% in September, up from 27.9% in August. The online sales were 19.7% higher than levels witnessed before the coronavirus pandemic.
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