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Budget blamed for first contraction in private sector for a year

Sales volume in Great Britain fell for first time in three months, down 0.7% in October as people delayed spending

Retail sales in Great Britain fell for the first time in three months in October, as uncertainty surrounding Labour first budget in 14 years and the lure of Black Friday bargains delayed consumer spending. “A fall in sales in October does not bode well for the retail industry, as this month typically marks the start of the festive shopping season,” said Greg Zakowicz, a senior e-commerce expert at Omnisend. Asif Aziz, the retail director at the mobile phone operator EE, said: “October has been a quiet month on the high street with shoppers clearly keeping their powder dry ahead of Black Friday sales.

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