Warm start to the autumn crushes fashion shops as high street sales fall 3%

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The warm start to the autumn across the UK crushed fashion shops last month and sent overall high street sales 3 per cent down.

Retailers failed to sell racks full of new autumn ranges, and despite London Fashion Week taking place, the ordering chaos at stores meant they recorded a year-on-year drop of 5.9 per cent.

That was the biggest drop since April's fall of 9.2 per cent, according to the BDO High Street Sales Tracker.

 Retailers failed to sell racks full of new autumn ranges in September, and despite London Fashion Week taking place, and the ordering chaos at stores meant sales suffered.

Strong homeware sales were not enough to pull the high street into positive growth, with the month's like-for-like figures dropping by 2.8 per cent - the eighth month in a row with no sign of growth.

Every week in September saw negative year-on-year sales for fashion, beginning with a drop of 5.5 per cent.

As temperatures topped 34C, fashion sales dropped 8.4 per cent in the third week of the month on the same period in 2015, and 8.1 per cent in the last week.

However, sales of lifestyle goods edged up 0.9 per cent year-on-year and the homewares sector saw growth of 12.6 per cent.

Sophie Michael, head of retail and wholesale at BDO LLP, said retailers needed to take the erratic weather as a lesson in the importance of flexibility.

She said: 'When you look at individual performances, it doesn't take long to spot who has innovated and adapted their supply chains to be able to cope with unseasonal weather.

'And it's not just the temperature that is in flux. In order to maintain a strong performance, retailers should ensure that they are attuned to the changing demands of consumers and navigating future challenges presented by Brexit.

'Those that can remain flexible, and adapt quickly, will not only stand the best chance of success but will also be well placed to grab the opportunities that will no doubt present themselves in these uncertain times.'