UK shop sales grew strongly in September with department stores, footwear and furniture retailers leading the way, according to new data from the CBI.

On the CBI index, which quizzes 123 of the UK’s biggest retailers, sales are rising “solidly” on the whole, although the pace of growth has slowed slightly compared with August.

Sales were well above the seasonal average and orders placed by retailers with their suppliers were also growing steadily, it said.

A cloud to the silver lining was a significant slowdown in grocery shopping, which is the retail industry’s biggest sub-sector, while chemists also had an unexpectedly bad month as well.

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI director of economics, said: “Solid growth continues on the high street, with most sectors doing decent business and department stores performing particularly well.

“However, the pace of growth in the grocery sector tailed off significantly compared with the previous survey. Retailers are expecting sales to grow again next month, but at a steadier pace.”