SHOPPERS have bought less this month despite price rises continuing to slow across food favourites such as chocolate.
Retailers reported “disappointing†seasonal sales, with volumes down on the same period last year.
However, online sales did jump, the Confederation of British Industry survey found.
Firms expect overall sales to remain broadly flat next month but believe online demand will grow in the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas.
The CBI’s Martin Sartorius said: “This weakness in activity was reflected across the broader sector, with wholesale and motor trade firms reporting declining sales.â€
It comes despite figures from the British Retail Consortium-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index showing that food inflation slowed to 1.9 per cent this month, down from 2.3 per cent in September.
Halloween promos on sweets and other spooky treats have helped.
The heat is on WFH
FEWER people are expected to work remotely this winter because they want to cut down on their energybills.
Two-thirds of staff said free heating encourages them into the office in the winter months, the latest Virgin Media O2 Business Movers Index shows.
It also found Monday and Friday work commutes have seen 7 per cent and 5 per cent year-on-year increases respectively as the remote working boom begins to fade — boosting retail sales.
Lidl shop spree
AMBITIOUS budget chain Lidl will open 10 new stores in time for Christmas.
Locations include Bovey Tracey in Devon, Berwick Green in Bristol, Stirchley in Birmingham and London, creating 400 new jobs.
It will also reopen three existing outlets that have either been relocated or refurbished and extended, including Chessington and Dagenham Heathway in the capital and Connah’s Quay in North Wales.
Lidl now has more than 960 shops in Britain and plans to open hundreds more.
THE Financial Conduct Authority has handed Kristo Kaarmann, boss of money transfer firm WISE, a £350,000 fine after he failed to notify it about problems with his personal tax affairs.
But Kaarmann is still fit to continue in his role.
Auto deal fear
SHARES in Lloyds Banking Group dropped 2.67 per cent yesterday as it was “assessing the potential impact†of a court ruling on motor finance commission payments.
The Court of Appeal ruled last week that car dealers could not get commissions from lenders such as Lloyds’ Black Horse brand without first getting a green light from customers.
Close Brothers, another affected firm, also saw shares sink by 7.88 per cent as motor finance lenders could face a £4billion compensation bill.
