Volume of sales was down 0.7% in October, the first fall in three months, as consumers reined in spending on clothes

• Business live

Retail sales in Great Britain fell for the first time in three months in October, as consumers held back on spending before the first Labour budget in 14 years.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales fell by 0.7% month on month in October – and revised down the growth figure for September from 0.3% to just 0.1%. Clothing stores in particular bore the brunt of consumers tightening the purse strings last month.

Continue reading...