September saw the favourable demand for big ticket items such as continue, and furniture enjoyed the highest growth of any sector, according to the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor for September 2014.

Retailers reported good sales for decorations and lighting, while home textiles, in particular cushions and rugs, sold well through the back-to-university season.

Overall, UK retail sales were down 2.1% on a like-for-like basis from September 2013, when they had increased 0.7% on the preceding year. On a total basis, sales were down 0.8%, against a 2.4% rise in September 2013, the weakest performance since December 2008, excluding Easter distortions.

Online sales of non-food products in the UK grew 8.2% in September versus a year earlier, when it had grown 13.4%. This was the lowest online growth since August 2013.

Furniture was the second largest contributor to the growth of non-food sales online, despite reporting its slowest sales growth since June. The proportion of furniture sales transacted online increased by 0.9 percentage points to a healthy 29.3% – a good performance, as it coincided with unfavorable weather conditions and followed relatively high growth over the previous two months.

Helen Dickinson, director general, British Retail Consortium, comments: “In September we saw the lowest retail sales figures since December 2008 excluding Easter distortions. This can be attributed to a number of factors including the continuing decline in food sales. Furthermore, there was exceptionally low demand for items such as boots and coats, resulting in the lowest fashion sales performance since April 2012. However, demand for big ticket items continues to be strong, with furniture outperforming all other categories."

David McCorquodale, head of retail, KPMG, adds: “The prolonged Indian summer wilted retail sales in September, leaving clothing retailers hot under the collar. After a bumper summer, this is a disappointing outcome for retailers, and has undoubtedly reversed some of the sales gains made in August. However, if temperatures drop to a more seasonal level this cooler weather will quickly turnaround retailers’ fortunes and help them to sell their autumn winter ranges.

“One warm September doesn't ruin a Christmas, and retailers on the whole are on a firm footing as they enter the all-important final quarter. The winners will be those who have invested in their systems and carefully managed their stock levels to give themselves the best shot at a successful Christmas.”