A rush to buy winter clothes and buoyant Halloween trade for supermarkets helped UK retail sales grow at the fastest pace for 14 years in October. The volume of retail sales rose by 7.4% last month compared with a year ago, the strongest growth since early 2002. “Cooler temperatures in October boosted clothing sales as shoppers took their cue to purchase winter clothing, while the supermarkets benefited from Halloween. This has also coincided with the strongest growth in internet sales seen for five years,” said Kate Davies, an ONS senior statistician. Retail sales by sector Retail sales by sectorBut the drop in average store prices was the smallest for more than two years at 0.7% and will be taken as a further sign the UK’s long spell of very low inflation is coming to an end.

Source: The Guardian November 17, 2016 11:05 UTC