Sun shines on Scots high street

Last month’s decent weather helped Scottish retailers shift garden furniture, barbecues and summer clothing, leading to an upturn in high street sales performance.

Total sales north of the Border increased by 2.6 per cent compared with May 2017, when they had fallen by 0.2 per cent, according to the latest retail sales monitor from the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and KPMG, published today.

Non-food sales increased 1.4 per cent last month, compared with a 3.8 per cent drop in May 2017, marking the best performance by the sector since January 2014. With many barbecues sold, food sales increased 4.2 per cent on last year, above the yearly average of 4.1 per cent.

The SRC said the monthly results were “a balm for hardpressed retailers”.

Director David Lonsdale said: “Clearly one swallow doesn’t make a summer, but May’s positive figures are a balm for hard-pressed retailers.

“The figures show consumers shifting their attention to spending time outdoors which, when combined with a release of pent-up demand, saw a broadly based pick-up in retail sales over the month.

“As a result total retail sales, adjusted for falling shop prices, recorded their best monthly performance in almost fourand-a-half years.

“Sales of garden furniture, BBQS, and summer-related clothing, footwear and food performed well, as did gaming and TVS driven by demand for new titles and upcoming sporting events. In contrast household appliances and home accessories fared less well.”

Craig Cavin, head of retail in Scotland for KPMG, added: “Following a challenging April, retailers can breathe a sigh of relief after May delivered a much-needed sales uplift in Scotland. Nevertheless, non-food sales continue to lag slightly behind the three-month UK equivalent.”