UK retail sales fell last month as shoppers waited for Black Friday deals and uncertainty over the upcoming budget impacted consumer confidence.

Retail sales volumes fell by 1.1% month on month in October, after a 0.7% rise in September, marking the first monthly fall since May, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The volume of retail sales is estimated to have risen by 1.1% in the three months to October compared with the three months to July.

Clothing store sales finished a strong performance in those three months, peaking in September, while computer and telecommunication retailers also rose across September and October 2025.

Textile clothing and footwear stores saw the biggest sales rises over the three months, increasing by 4.9%. Food store sales grew by just 0.3% over the three months, while department stores sales were up by 0.2%.

Household goods stores were the only retail sector that saw a sales rise in October, with revenues up 2.1%.

However, supermarkets, clothing, and mail order retailer sales volumes all fell in October, which some retailers attributed to consumers delaying their spending ahead of Black Friday.

Commenting on the results, Jacqui Baker, Head of Retail at RSM UK, said: “The positive streak of retail sales growth came to a halt in October, as Budget jitters took hold. Consumers held off from splurging in anticipation of potential tax hikes and hit pause on spending to take advantage of Black Friday deals. The milder weather led to a fall in clothing sales. However, clothing should be one of the main beneficiaries of the annual Black Friday event, so it’s hoped that sales will turn around in November.”

Online sales values rose by 3.0% in the three months to October but fell by 0.8% over the month to October 2025, while they rose by 4.8% year-on-year.

Total spending (the sum of in-store and online sales) fell by 0.9% over the month. As a result, the proportion of sales made online remained unchanged at 28.1% in October 2025 compared with September 2025.

“While October’s sales have proven to be a disappointing start to the critical ‘Golden Quarter’ in the run-up to Christmas, retailers will be hoping that shoppers are keeping their powder dry for both the Black Friday sales this month, and the first weeks of December, when the majority of us do most of our Christmas shopping,” commented Jacqueline Windsor, Head of Retail at PwC UK.

Oliver Vernon-Harcourt, Head of Retail at Deloitte, said: “With inflation falling for the first time since March, there are hopes that consumers may be encouraged to spend in the run up to Christmas, particularly if inflation continues to ease and interest rates fall. With Black Friday on the horizon, and some of the busiest shopping days of the year fast approaching, retailers will be hoping for a positive end to 2025. Elsewhere, the outcome of the Budget will no doubt have an impact on how both consumers and retailers feel in the coming months.”

However, research company GfK also released data showing that consumer confidence has fallen on every measure of its index this month compared with October, resulting in a two-point fall in overall confidence to -19.

Speaking to the Guardian, Neil Bellany, Consumer Insights Director at GfK, commented: “This is a bleak set of results as we head towards next week’s budget,” said Neil Bellamy, the consumer insights director at GfK. “The public is bracing for difficult news, with little in the current climate to lift expectations.”