Homeware sales rose on the high street, marking the category’s eighteenth positive result for store sales in 2024.
According to the latest BDO High Street Sales Tracker, total like-for-like (LFL) sales rose 10.86% for the week ending 6 October 2024.
Homeware total LFL sales increased by +6.73% this week, rebounding from a base of -4.52% for the same week last year, achieving the sixteenth positive result of the year.
Store sales grew by +3.05%, against a positive base of +2.20% from the same week in 2023, while non-store sales rose by +9.18%, although they could not offset a deeply negative base of -17.93%.
This represents the eighteenth positive result for homeware store sales in 2024, while this week’s non-store homeware result marks the thirteenth positive outcome for the year.
Overall store sales rose by +5.70%, recovering from last year’s negative base of -1.69%, while non-store sales surged by +19.45%, offsetting a steep -13.49% decline during the same week in 2023.
Commenting on the results, BDO said: “This positive momentum was driven by robust fashion sales and a significant rise in non-store fashion LFL sales, likely supported by the chilly weather and ongoing promotions and discounts.
“The UK experienced mixed weather conditions this week, starting with cooler temperatures and rain in the west and midlands, while the southeast remained mostly dry. By the weekend, warmer air returned, bringing highs of around 24°C in the south, resembling last year’s weather pattern, which also featured cooler, rainy conditions early in the week and warmer temperatures by the weekend.”
Footfall decreased by -1.0% this week, primarily due to a -3.5% drop in high street traffic, likely linked to the week’s cooler, wet conditions. Conversely, traffic in retail parks and shopping centres increased by +2.1% and +1.0%, respectively.
