Homeware sales fell on the high street, while footfall continued to see small growth.

According to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales fell by 4.21% for the week ending 10 September 2023.

Homeware total LFLs fell by -5.61% from a base of +0.90% for the same week last year, indicating the category’s twenty-third negative result so far in 2023 and first since the final week of July.

Store sales for homeware tumbled by -6.20% from a solid base of +12.00% for the same week last year, marking the category’s eighth negative result so far in 2023 and first since the final week of June.

Total in-store LFL sales dropped by -4.69%, but from a strong base of +11.79% for the same week last year. Total non-store LFL sales fell by -3.07% from an already negative base of -2.09% for the same week last year.

Commenting on the results, BDO said: “This week’s result marks the lowest for total LFL sales since the last week of March 2023, amidst the resumption of many UK schools this week following the end of the summer holidays. Both in-store and non-store sales were in the red, with the former recording the lowest outcome since March this year.

“This week witnessed weather conditions typical of Summer as it was hot and sunny with clear skies and temperatures reaching over 30°C. During the same week in 2022, the UK experienced autumnal weather with a mix of sporadic rainfall and dry spells.”

Overall footfall grew this week by +2.2% compared to the equivalent week last year. High streets saw footfall increase by +3.7% while retail parks experienced growth of +1.5%. Shopping centres on the other hand saw footfall decrease by -0.2%.