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

According to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales rose by 4.86% for the week ending 11 September 2022.

Total Homeware LFLs rose by 0.90% this week from a base of +7.13% for the same week last year, marking its first positive result since mid-July.

In-store homeware sales jumped by +12.00% from a base of +9.94% for the same week last year, indicating its second consecutive positive result in five weeks and its highest since mid-April.

Total in-store LFL sales jumped by +11.79%, from a base of +27.02% for the same week last year. Total non-store LFL sales slipped this week and were down by -2.09%, although this was from a strong base of +19.55% last year.

Commenting on the results, BDO said: “Sales remained positive, especially in-store, in a week that saw the passing of the UK’s longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Total homewares climbed into positive territory for the first time in eight weeks, as in-store homeware recorded its highest result since mid-April.

“This week saw a mixture of showers and longer spells of rain interspersed with drier periods as autumnal weather began. The same week last year saw a mix of hot weather and overcast conditions.”

Overall footfall was up by +6.3% this week compared to the same week last year.

Shopping centres saw the largest growth in footfall this week (+9.7%), while footfall was also strong on the high street (+6.8%) and remained positive (+1.5%) in retail parks.