According to BDO’s latest High Street Sales Tracker, total retail sales across discretionary spend categories grew by +4.1% in October, compared to an overall sales decline of 1.7% for the same month last year. Last month’s growth was driven primarily by online sales, which increased by +9.1% compared to October 2023, while, in comparison, in-store sales grew by just +1.7%, compared to a weak base of -1.0% the previous year, despite being one month into the so-called ‘Golden Quarter’. Sophie Michael, Head of Retail and Wholesale at BDO, commented: “While this is an overall positive result, this growth is based on the disastrous sales figures recorded in October 2023.” To read BDO’s news release, go to https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/news/2024/october-sales-growth-stagnates-signalling-a-challenging-festive-period.