One in three trading UK businesses reported higher purchase prices in September

United Kingdom. In its Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) release published on 22 October, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports that 33% of trading businesses experienced an increase in prices of goods and services they bought in September 2026 compared with the previous calendar month. That share was 4 percentage points higher than in August 2026 and 12 percentage points higher than in September 2025. This is the proportion of businesses reporting an increase, not a claim that every firm's purchases cost 33% more.

12% of trading businesses reported an increase in prices of the goods and services they sold. This share was broadly stable compared with August 2026 and 3 percentage points higher than in September 2025. These separate survey responses do not establish that the same individual firms both faced higher input costs and kept their selling prices unchanged.

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What businesses expect

17% of trading businesses expect to raise their selling prices in November 2026. That share was broadly stable compared with expectations for October 2026 but 7 percentage points above the share for November 2025. Energy prices were the most commonly reported factor leading businesses to consider price increases, at 32%. These are expectations, not a confirmed inflation forecast or an announced change in energy tariffs.

Meanwhile, 17% of trading businesses reported higher turnover in September than in August 2026, a share 5 percentage points higher than the August figure. For businesses with at least 10 employees, the corresponding share was 26%, up 7 percentage points from August. Turnover is not profit: the survey does not show whether margins improved.

What a small business can check

When preparing quotes and budgets for the coming months, compare current supplier invoices, energy and delivery costs with existing contract terms. Check which prices and quote-validity periods you can actually commit to customers. Do not apply the survey percentages directly to your own costs: the effect depends on your sector, purchasing volumes and contracts. This statistical release introduces no new mandatory business deadline or requirement.

Data caveat: these are weighted results from a voluntary survey of UK businesses, not a register of every company. The latest wave was fielded from 5 to 18 October 2026. ONS classifies the figures as official statistics in development and advises caution in their use. Questions and responding populations may change. The comparisons above concern shares of responses in the stated periods, not percentage changes in prices.

Official source: ONS, Business insights and impact on the UK economy: 22 October 2026.