Dash for gold helps drive retail sales in Great Britain to three-year high

Demand at online jewellers and release of iPhone 17 lead to bigger-than-expected rise in volumes in SeptemberBusiness live – latest updatesSales at UK retailers unexpectedly rose last month to their highest level since July 2022, according to official figures, boosted by tech purchases amid the release of the new iPhone 17 as well as strong online demand for gold.Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that retail sales volumes rose by 0.5% in September, the fourth consecutive monthly increase, confounding economists’ forecasts of a 0.2% monthly drop. Continue reading...