A new report has found that people across the UK are stocking up on blankets and jumpers and buying air fryers ahead of the cold weather. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said that at the same time people are cutting back on other spending, as retail sales fell in September.
The BRC and consultancy KPMG said people have been avoiding buying items such as TVs and computers. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), said the figures showed that people “shopped cautiously” over the month.
She said “This represented another month of falling sales volumes given high levels of inflation. As consumer confidence continued to fall, people shopped cautiously, avoiding large ticket items such as new computers, TVs and furniture.
“Many households are also preparing for higher energy costs this winter, with blankets, warm clothing, and energy-efficient appliances, such as air dryers and air fryers, all selling well.”
Food sales grew 4.6% over the three months to September. Paul Martin, UK head of retail at KPMG, said: “Once again, clothing and footwear came to the rescue of the high street, and back to school purchasing was a driver in retail growth figures, with sales of children’s shoes up over 15%.
“Sales of household appliances and cooking accessories also moved into positive territory this month, as consumers look to purchase more energy efficient kitchen items in light of rising energy prices.”
Susan Barratt, chief executive officer of IGD, said: “Food and drink sales in September fell behind August as the weather cooled and life returned to normal after the holidays.
“However, there was a small uptick in sales in the week following the death of Queen Elizabeth II as the nation came together to mourn her passing, distracted momentarily from the stiffening economic headwinds.”
Meanwhile, figures from Barclaycard revealed that consumer card spending increased 1.8% in September, although this represented the weakest uplift since February 2021.
The credit card operator also highlighted that essential spending grew by the smallest level so far this year, at 3.3%, as shoppers assess their budgets.
This growth was largely due to supermarkets only seeing a small uplift, at 2.8%, while food and drink specialist stores fell back into decline.
Restaurants also saw spending falls as people pulled back on non-essentials.
Esme Harwood, director at Barclaycard, said: “Energy price increases are understandably causing concern for Brits, as they worry whether they will have enough money to cover their household bills.
“Consumers are taking a savvy approach to budgeting as they reduce spending on discretionary items and seek more value in their weekly shop, which is having a knock-on effect on retail and hospitality sectors.”
Energy bills rose for millions of people on October 1, with the average household bill going from £1,971 a month to £2,500 a month.
