The British Retail Consortium data "like-for-like" sales (this basis strips out changes in store size)

For October, comes in at a miss, down 1% y/y

  • expected was +0.9%
  • September was +1.9%

More detail (this via Reuters):

  • British retail spending fell last month at the fastest pace for any October since 2008
  • consumers curbed purchases of non-food goods in the face of rising inflation
  • "The decline was driven by the worst performance of non-food sales since our record began in January 2011," said Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive. "The growth in food sales meanwhile, adds some colour to this otherwise anaemic picture, but these figures are very much buoyed by inflation."
  • BRC said total sales last month edged up 0.2 percent, which was also the weakest increase for any October since 2008

GBP doing basically zero on the release. This data point tends not to have too much immediate currency impact though.