Retrospective exercise for 23 October 2026
Retail sales volume is not the same as spending
The ONS retail bulletin reports goods bought in volume terms, and it also distinguishes month-on-month from quarter-on-quarter comparisons.
Written and published . Archive study date: . This page does not claim it was available on the earlier date.
Find the unit
Original source. The ONS September 2026 retail-sales bulletin estimates that sales volumes fell 0.4% from August to September, while volumes across July–September rose 0.7% against April–June. Volume is an estimate of the quantity bought after adjusting for prices. It is not the same as the amount of money spent.
Check the revision
The bulletin revised August monthly volume growth to 0.7% from 0.5%, and July to a 0.4% fall from a 0.5% fall. Put the earlier and later estimates beside their publication dates. A revision changes the recorded comparison; it does not mean shoppers returned to August and made new purchases.
Choose the right question
For a business or investment thesis, decide whether you need real quantities, cash sales, margins, or one retailer’s own disclosures. The national volume series cannot supply all four. Never treat one monthly fall and one quarterly rise as contradictory without first writing their time windows.
Continue learning
Use the Investing route for the next concept, or browse the dated archive. Verify the original source for subsequent changes.