UK Retail Sales Fall More Than Expected After Queen’s Death

  • Cost-of-living squeeze also ate into consumer spending power
  • Fuel sales fell around the time of the state funeral

Consumer confidence lingered near historic lows in October, a survey from GfK Ltd. said earlier Friday. 

Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
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UK retail sales fell more than expected last month after the death of Queen Elizabeth II curtailed activity and cost-of-living pressures hit harder.

The volume of goods sold in shops and online dropped 1.4% in September after a revised 1.7% decline the month before, data from the Office for National Statistics showed Friday. Economists had expected an 0.5% drop.