Retailers cheered by fair September

FAIR weather and bank holiday trading boosted retailers last month but there were fewer customers than last year, a report shows.

Shopper numbers were down 0.8 per cent compared to September 2014, although the figures were the best since February except for Easter.

However, the September figure was an improvement on August, when the number of shoppers fell by 1.6 per cent, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s monthly Springboard Footfall Monitor.

Across the UK, shopper numbers, or footfall, were down 0.2 per cent. Three regions reported positive growth in September, with the greatest rise in the East Midlands.

All other regions reported traffic below the UK average.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: ‘Footfall in Scotland wilted again in September, albeit at a l ess pronounced rate than the month before and also when contrasted to the average of the past three months.’

Retailers would have to work harder to attract custom, he added.

They would have to consider improvements to service, ranges, pricing and promotions. He added that the clock was ticking towards big announcements on the Budget and new fiscal powers in Scotland.

‘Retailers will be looking for convincing action from the Chancellor and Scotland’s Finance Secretary to improve consumer confidence.’

This was on top of ‘ steadfast resistance to the relentless rise in government-inspired cost pressures which have been witnessed of late or are under consideration’.

Mr Lonsdale said: ‘Rising costs divert and exhaust resources which otherwise would be used to grow the business.’

Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard, said: ‘The perfect autumn weather, additional bank holiday trading day and the lowest UK [shop] vacancy rate for two years are key drivers behind relatively pleasing figures for September.

‘In Scotland, the drop of 0.8 per cent was the best annual change for the past five months.

‘And across the UK a drop of 0.2 per cent in footfall was the best year-onyear performance since March and the second best-performing month over the last 17 months.’