Deloitte comments on ONS Retail Sales figures

Commenting on today’s ONS retail sales figures, Ian Geddes, UK head of retail at Deloitte, said:

“A stronger than expected month, albeit driven by discounting, will bring some cheer as we start the run-up to Christmas. While online sales have shown some loss of momentum, we expect this to pick up in November as retailers and consumers prepare for what are likely to be record breaking Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

“While October was a marginally better month for the beleaguered grocery sector, the market remains tough with pricing under intense pressure. Clothing retailers seem to have fared better than many expected, although promotional activity has been high and will not have made up for losses experienced in September. Furniture and homewares continue to perform well, a sign of strengthening consumer demand, increasing confidence and the strong performance of the housing market during 2014.”

End

Notes to editors

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