UK retail sales rose by 1.0% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis in September 2026, exceeding market forecasts for a 0.7% gain and accelerating from a 0.5% gain in August. Total retail sales growth also picked up to 1.3% from 0.7% in the previous month, although it remained below the 12-month average of 1.5%. Food sales increased by 2.5%, while non-food sales edged up by 0.3%. Health and beauty products recorded the strongest growth of the year so far, while clothing and footwear sales weakened due to unseasonably warm weather.