Stagnant retail sales have raised fears over the key Christmas trading period as cautious shoppers kept a rein on their wallets last month.

 

Sales volumes flatlined during September after a 0.3pc decline in August, according to the Office for National Statistics. Department stores and household goods chains were the weakest link in the past three months, underlining the pressure on traditional high street titans such as John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.

 

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