Sales in Scotland fall flat in October

Sales in Scotland fell flat in October, with retailers recording a decline for the first time since spring.

Total sales in Scotland were down 0.2 per cent compared with last year and down 0.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis. It follows five months of recorded increases from May to September, according to the Scottish Retail Consortium-kpmg monthly Scottish Retail Sales Monitor. Sales of food, mobile phones and gaming products were steady but clothing and footwear faltered despite widespread discounts.