Sales of home accessories and textiles picked up last month, but, as expected, overall retail sales were kept in check by the mini-heatwave of the final week of September.

Like for like sales grew by 0.3%, compared with 0.5% a year before, according to the BRC/KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, with total sales up 2.5%, compared with a 2.2% rise in 2010.

Homewares showed a modest uplift, though sales were still often deal-driven. Larger purchases in particular were hit by fragile consumer confidence and the weak housing market.

‘While we were seeing reasonable growth during the first weeks of September, hopes for a major improvement on recent months were dashed as the exceptionally hot weather kicked in during the final week, when hitting the shops was well down our list of priorities,’ says Helen Dickinson, KPMG head of retail.

‘Sales of home accessories, house textiles as well as toiletries and cosmetics showed signs of improvement. However, with consumers’ incomes being squeezed from all sides, many shoppers continue to steer clear of big-ticket items.’

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