The Office for National Statistics released its quarterly consumer trend briefing this week and it gives a nice snapshot of what exactly Brits are spending their money on.
Households spending grew by 0.9% to £2.5 billion in the three months from July to September and, as the chart below shows, spending on transportation was the biggest contributor to GDP growth in that period.Transport spending jumped 1.7% in the third quarter, largely down to more people buying cars. Car sales rose by 3.5% in the third quarter compared to the second.
The only negative contributions came from alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics, and restaurants and hotels. Spending in each of these categories actually declined between the second and third quarter, which was a drag on GDP.
The ONS says wine sales fell by 1.2% between the second and third quarter, and tobacco sales dropped by 0.5%.