UK retail sales fall for 4th month in Sept-BRC

British retail sales fell for a fourth straight month in September on a like-for-like basis as furniture stores recorded their worst performance in at least eight years, a survey showed on Tuesday.

The British Retail Consortium said like-for-like sales values were 1.5 percent lower last month than in September 2007. That was the sharpest fall since April and means sales have fallen on this measure for six of the past seven months.

Total sales values, which includes new floorspace, rose an annual 1.0 percent in September. That was the weakest rate of growth since April and well below the current rate of inflation, meaning sales dropped in real terms.

The BRC blamed a scarcity of credit and housing market weakness for a steep fall in sales of furniture and fitted kitchens and bathrooms. In this sector, even heavy discounting and promotions failed to tempt shoppers.

"The financial turmoil has further undermined consumer confidence," said Stephen Robertson, director general at the British Retail Consortium. "Impulse buying is disappearing as people consider purchases carefully and actively seek out promotions.

The only sector to show sales values significantly higher than a year ago was food and drink, although higher prices were a key factor here.

"Inflation is behind much of the growth in food, and this is the main driver of overall performance," said Helen Dickenson, head of retail at KPMG.