LONDON, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- British retail sales rose by 3.1 percent in October, compared with the same period last year, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday.
Data showed that the quantity bought in October rose by 3.1 percent year on year, with growth across all sectors except household goods stores.
On a monthly basis, the quantity bought fell by 0.1 percent in October, with only fuel and department stores showing growth.
In the three months to October, the quantity bought grew by 0.2 percent when compared with the previous three months, hitting the lowest growth since last April.
Meanwhile, online retailing accounted for 19.2 percent of total retailing in October, higher than the 19.0 percent figure reported in September.
"Retail sales increased at a slower rate in the latest three months, with growth the weakest seen since April of last year. All main sectors saw falling sales apart from food shops," an ONS spokesperson said on Twitter.
"Department store sales rebounded in October, driven by promotional events and an earlier introduction of Christmas lines. However, their sales still remain significantly down over the longer term," the spokesperson added.
Capital Economics, an economic research consultancy based in London, said the 0.1 percent fall in retail sales in October was a disappointment, given that there was quite a lot of discounting.
"October was the coldest since 2012 and the wettest since 2013," it said. "A no deal Brexit was still on the table for the first fortnight of the sample period. Overall, with real wages rising solidly, we doubt this is a precursor to a collapse in spending."
