The latest figures for October reveal the industry experienced a 1.4% decrease in sales overall, compared to the same period last year, according to data from S4labour.
This decline was driven by sites outside of London, with sales dropping by 2.5%, whilst London saw a moderate increase of 3%. October also marks the first time since March that overall sales have been down.
S4labour’s Chief Growth Officer, Richard Hartley, commented: “As we begin the run up to Christmas, this downward trend is not what we would have hoped for, especially considering last month’s staggering 9.6% growth. Only two out of the ten months so far this year have seen a decline, so we are optimistic that as celebrations begin over November and December, we will start to see some positive figures again.”