Retail sales fell last month as shoppers held back on spending ahead of the Budget, according to official figures.
Sales volumes fell by 0.7% in October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, with clothing stores having a “notably poor” month.
Speculation over which taxes might be increased ahead of last month’s Budget has been blamed by many as a reason why households and businesses were more reluctant to make spending decisions.
While the drop was bigger than expected, the ONS said that wider trends showed sales had been sturdy.
