Emer Moreau<\/span>Business reporter<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Retail sales hit their highest level since 2022 in September, with good weather giving a boost to clothes shopping, according to new data.<\/p>\n Monthly sales rose by 0.5% in September 2025, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.<\/p>\n Between July and September, retail sales were 0.9% higher than the previous three months.<\/p>\n “Retail sales rose quite strongly in the last quarter and were at their highest level since summer 2022,” said ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n “Although food stores saw very little growth, good weather in July and August boosted sales of clothing, while online retailing also did well.”<\/p>\n Monthly sales saw their fourth increase in a row. <\/p>\n Non-store retailers – primarily online shops – saw a 3.8% rise in sales in the same period.<\/p>\n Computer and telecoms retailers grew strongly, while within non-store retailing, online jewellers reported strong demand for gold.<\/p>\n The amount spent online between July and September was 3.5% higher than the previous quarter and 5% higher than the same period last year.<\/p>\n ONS statistics are used in deciding government policy, which affects millions, and are also used by the Bank of England to make key financial decisions, such as setting interest rates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Alex Kerr, UK economist at Capital Economics, said the month on month rise in retail sales volumes was better than expected.<\/p>\n “But against a backdrop of weak employment, high inflation and with tax rises on the horizon, we doubt the retail sector will be able to sustain this strength,” he said.<\/p>\n Mr Kerr said that a strong demand for gold jewellery from online retailers could be a result of surging gold prices<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Getty](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/d5f8\/live\/4bbd4a70-afea-11f0-a143-2b4ebe719445.jpg.webp\")
Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n