Homeware sales fell on the high street again while footfall continued to see positive growth.

According to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales rose by 3.88% for the week ending 4 September 2022.

Total Homeware LFLs fell by 11.81% this week, with in store sales also down by 3.27%, marking the category’s lowest result since mid-July, but this was off a base of +19.66% for the equivalent week in 2021.

With instore homeware sales increasing by +3.26% from a base of +14.32% for the same week last year, the decline in total homeware LFLs was driven by falling online sales.

Total in-store LFL sales were up by +7.36%, from a base of +27.71% for the same week last year. Total non-store LFL sales plummeted this week and were down by -4.73%, although this was from a base of +19.24% in 2021.

Commenting on the results, BDO said: “This increase came despite slightly underwhelming weather conditions with bouts of grey clouds signalling the end of the summer, and increasing concerns about the cost of living.”

Overall footfall was up by +8.0% this week compared to the same week last year.

The high street again saw the most notable growth in footfall (+10.6%), with shopping centres also experiencing strong growth of +8.9%. Retail parks reversed a negative trend seen in recent weeks, reporting an increase in footfall of +1.3% this week.