UK retail sales up 0.5 pct in Sept. - data

LONDON, Oct 24 (KUNA) -- Retail sales volumes have risen for the fourth month in a row, driven by consumers buying gold online and new tech gadgets.
Monthly sales rose by 0.5 percent in September 2025, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show, defying an expected decrease of -0.2 percent, according to official data.
"Although food stores saw very little growth, good weather in July and August boosted sales of clothing, while online retailing also did well," said ONS senior statistician Hannah Finselbach in a statement.
Tech sales were boosted over the summer by the launch of Nintendo's long-awaited Switch 2 gaming console and Apple's iPhone 17.
Within non-store retailing, online jewellers reported strong demand for gold.
Between July and September, retail sales were 0.9 percent higher than the previous three months.
The amount spent online between July and September was 3.5 percent higher than the previous quarter and 5 percent higher than the same period last year.
Retail sales volume are a measure of the quantity of goods sold during a certain period. (end) nbs.mt