Scottish retail sales slip in November despite a rise in footfall
Total retail sales in Scotland fell by 1.4% year-on-year in November as a rise in footfall failed to increase sales.
The figures released by the Scottish Retail Consortium and KPMG in their monthly sales monitor also show that like-for-like sales decreased by 2.6%.
Total food sales were 2.3% down on November 2013 while total non-food sales edged down 0.7%.
However, the Scottish Retail Consortium said that the value of non-food sales in Scotland would have increased by 0.9% year-on-year in November if the figures had been adjusted to include the impact of online sales.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “The welcome rise in Scottish footfall last month didn’t lead to a commensurate increase in the actual total value of retail sales in shops. That said, once the effects of shop price inflation are taken into account, the value of retail sales in Scotland did grow, edging up by 0.4%.”
Bright spots included furniture and household appliances which recorded their best performance since January. Gaming and beauty products also put in a stronger performance driven by early demand ahead of Christmas.
Lonsdale added: “With fierce competition and promotions pushing shop price inflation to new lows, retailers will be hoping for some Christmas cheer with a far stronger showing across a wider range of product categories in December, in what is after all the most important trading period of the year.”
