Average weekly spending online in the UK rose to £1.2 billion in September; an increase of 14 per cent compared with last year, the latest ONS figures have revealed.

The amount spent online accounted for 17 per cent of all retail spending, excluding automotive fuel, compared with 15.6 per cent in September 2016.

The underlying pattern in the retail industry is one of growth; for the three-months on three-months measure, the quantity bought increased by 0.6 per cent.

However, the quantity of items bought in the retail industry decreased by 0.8 per cent when compared with August 2017, with non-food stores providing the greatest downward pressure following growth last month.

Year- on- year, the quantity bought in the retail sector increased by 1.2 per cent, with non-food (household goods, clothing stores) and non-store retailing all providing growth.

Commenting on the ONS retail sales figures, Rachel Lund, head of retail insight and analytics at the British Retail Consortium, said: “September’s sales showed little evidence of consumers seriously shifting their shopping behaviour in response to the squeeze on spending power; with sales up in volume and value terms on last year.

“Clothing and footwear retailers were the biggest beneficiaries, as the back-to-school shop coincided with the onset of Aautumn. Price increases are still absorbing the lion’s share of growth in spending, with growth in food sales in September almost entirely down to inflation.”

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