What changed

Online spending in Great Britain edged down in September, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 23 October. Yet spending remained higher than a year earlier.

The quarter tells a similar story: online spending fell 0.1% against the previous quarter but rose 7.4% year on year.

Read the comparison, not just the headline

A monthly fall describes recent momentum. Annual growth compares spending with the same period last year. Both can be true.

For a shop owner, the useful question is whether a change in your own sales is specific to your business. Compare like periods and look at order count, average order value and product mix separately before deciding what to investigate.