UK retail sales rose unexpectedly on strong demand for consumer tech including new iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods models.
Irina Anghel for Bloomberg News:
The volume of goods sold in stores and online increased 0.3%, rising for a third consecutive month, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. That was slower than the 1% increase in the previous month, but considerably better than the 0.4% decline predicted by economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
September was a big month for technology retailers, with Apple Inc.’s newest iPhone 16 going on sale.
“The telecommunications and computer sectors were the key contributors to the growth in non-food sales,” said Greg Zakowicz, senior e-commerce expert at Omnisend. The new iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods were “spurred a significant uptick in consumer demand,” he said.
Retail sales volumes posted an annual rise of 3.9%, the strongest since February 2022. They’re now at their highest level in more than two years, and only 0.2% below pre-pandemic levels.
MacDailyNews Take: More good news for Apple and Apple shareholders!
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