Long hot summer sees food sales staying strong

RETAIL sales grew for the fourth month in August following a “successful summer” for retailers, according to a new report.

Food sales continued to do well, while the return to school boosted sales of children’s clothes, the SRC-KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor for August 2018 found.

In August, Scottish sales increased by 0.2 per cent on a like-forlike basis compared to the same month the previous year.

Total sales in Scotland increased by 0.5 per cent compared with August 2017.

Ewan MacDonaldRussell, Head of Policy and External Affairs at the Scottish Retail Consortium said: “A fourth month of sales growth brings a positive end to a successful summer for Scottish retailers.

“Yet with the nights drawing in, there will be some concern the same challenges we saw earlier in the year may return with strong grocery sales offsetting a fall in non-food sales.

“Food sales continued to do well, as consumers switched to more autumnal meals. Food sales were up by 3.8 per cent , stronger than the rest of the UK, but not as strong as the record hit in July.”