Retail sales in the UK showed renewed momentum in September, driven in part by increased demand for health and beauty products and a surge in toy purchases linked to the Pokémon franchise’s 30th anniversary. Data released by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG indicated that retail sales grew by 1.3 percent year-on-year, marking an improvement from August’s 0.7 percent rise.

Food sales experienced a notable increase of 2.5 percent compared with the same month last year, while non-food items edged up by 0.3 percent. According to Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, health and beauty retail saw its strongest performance of the year, and toy sales benefited particularly from the launch of Pokémon anniversary merchandise. However, she noted that unusually warm weather had restrained growth in clothing and footwear sectors.

Despite the acceleration in sales growth compared with the previous month, September’s increase was below the 2.3 percent rise recorded in the same month in 2025. Dickinson also cautioned that future consumer spending could be impacted by concerns surrounding upcoming tax increases and anticipated steep rises in energy bills expected in the government’s forthcoming budget.

Additional data from Barclays highlighted a positive trend in hospitality-related spending, with card transactions in restaurants and cafés rising by 2.1 percent year-on-year. Spending in pubs, bars, and clubs increased more sharply, up 3.8 percent compared to September of the previous year.

The combined figures suggest consumer appetite remains steady in certain areas despite economic uncertainties, with specific categories such as health and beauty and toys leading the recent growth in retail sales.