UK retail sales enjoyed their strongest month since January, rising 4.6% on a like-for-like basis in the four weeks to 25 October, according to accountancy firm BDO. The High Street Sales Tracker recorded growth across fashion, lifestyle and homewares, after sales had fallen slightly in the same month last year.

The improvement was driven largely by online shopping. Non-store sales jumped 10.1% year on year, against growth of just 2.2% across physical stores. Fashion showed the same divide, with online sales up 9% while in-store sales rose 2.1%. Homewares was the strongest category, with like-for-like sales up 8% on last year.

Colder weather did much of the work. Shoppers delayed buying autumn and winter clothing through an unusually warm September, then returned once temperatures dropped, lifting fashion sales after a weak run. October was only the third month this year in which retail sales growth outpaced inflation, offering retailers some encouragement heading into the crucial Golden Quarter.

The mood among shoppers remains fragile, however. The GfK Consumer Confidence Index fell 11 points to minus 24 during October, its lowest monthly reading in the tracker period, and BDO warned that the outlook stays uncertain as retailers approach Black Friday and Christmas. The sales rebound is real, but it rests on weather and online spending rather than a broad recovery in confidence.