Scotland sees ‘disappointing’ retail sales rise

Scottish government figures have found that retail sales in the country have risen by 0.3% between April and June compared with the three previous months.

The UK as a whole saw a retail rise in sales volume of 2.8% according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the value of sales in the UK also rose by 5.1%.

Value in Scotland rose by 2.4%, however Scottish Retail Consortium policy director Ewan MacDonald-Russell describing the figures as “disappointing”.

MacDonald-Russell, added: “Scottish retail sales continue to show low but sustained growth in 2018. This rise in the value of retail sales is a valuable counterpoint to some of the gloom surrounding the industry – retail continues to play a part in growing Scotland’s economy.

“Nonetheless, it’s disappointing retail sales were only marginally higher than the first quarter of 2018; a period which saw very wintry weather. Furthermore, it’s crucial to recognise that the UK as a whole outperformed Scotland over this period, a trend which has been evident for some time now.”