Homeware sales continued to perform well on the high street once again in August, while footfall was flat.

According to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales rose by 3.32% for the week ending 27 August 2023.

Homeware total LFLs grew by +3.15%, but failed to offset a negative base of -6.03% for the same week last year. This marks the category’s fifth positive result in the last six weeks and its twelfth so far in 2023.

Store sales for homeware jumped by +13.43% and easily offset a poor base of -3.27% for the same week last year, signifying the category’s ninth consecutive positive result since the first week of July and its twenty-eighth so far in 2023.

Total in-store LFL sales were up by +8.40% from an already positive base of +7.61% for the same week last year. Total non-store LFL sales, however, fell by -0.33% from a base of +1.66% seen last year.

Commenting on the results, BDO said: “In a week that culminated in the August Bank Holiday weekend, total LFL sales was sustained by positive in-store retail activity.

“The weather this week was marked by settled conditions as a warm and dry spell over much of the UK. The same week last year saw glorious weather across the country.”

Overall footfall grew by +1.2% compared to the equivalent week last year. While footfall growth results were moderate this week, retail parks saw the highest footfall growth (+2.1%), marking the first time such has happened since April 2021. Shopping centres recorded a footfall growth of +1.7% while high streets saw a flat growth of +0.6%.