Like-for-like sales in September were 3.3% higher than in September 2006, when they had risen 3.2%. Total sales in September were 8.3% up on a year ago. September's like-for-like sales were the best since April 2007 when warm weather and Easter boosted sales.
Clothing and footwear sales benefited from the colder end to the month, but remained lower than a year ago. Homewares were mixed, amid growing signs that larger discretionary purchases are being affected by interest rate rises. Food sales growth slowed marginally. Scotland continued to outperform the UK, which saw 3.0% like-for-like growth in September.
Fiona Moriarty, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "Overall trading conditions are challenging with underlying caution increasingly apparent, particularly in the homewares and electricals sector where consumers seem to be holding back on purchasing big ticket items as they await any further movements in interest rates. However the coldest September since 1994 prompted a slight recovery for the clothing and footwear sectors, which recorded improved trading compared to last month as a result of increased demand for winter clothes and boots."
"Retailers will now be hoping for a period of economic stability, in the anticipation that consumer confidence will be sustained in the lead up to Christmas."
David Fenton, Senior Economic Adviser at The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, said: “Scottish retailers are experiencing an Indian summer at the tills, thanks to promotional activities and the underlying strength of consumer spending. In keeping with recent trends, large food retailers continued to enjoy the best of these good conditions, by taking an increasing share of non-food spending.”
-Ltd..jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Thermore (Far East) Ltd.")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited (TSllC Ltd)")
.jpg?tr=w-120,h-60,c-at_max,cm-pad_resize,bg-ffffff "Taiwan Textile Federation (TTF)")
