Scottish shoppers decided to let good times roll

Figures for December show a 1.5 per cent rise in sales – although taking inflation of 1.5 per cent into account sales were flat in real terms.

Experts said the results were better than many had feared, given economic uncertainty and the loss of consumer confidence.

Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, Fiona Moriarty, said: “Coming at the end of a relentlessly tough year for Scottish customers and retailers, this is a relatively good result.

“After a year of belt tightening that left Scottish retailing consistently underperforming the UK as a whole, it seems significant numbers of people decided to put their jobs and money worries on hold and spend.

“For the first time in nearly two years, Scottish sales growth was not below the UK figure. At least when set against retailers’ low expectations, that is something to celebrate.”

The overall revival was driven by non-food goods, where growth was positive for the first time in 2012, she added.

David McCorquodale, head of retail for KPMG, said: “We’re not seeing a major surge in Christmas spending here, but for a change December’s total sales and like-for-likes have risen in line with the rest of the UK.

“Hardened by the experience of recent years, many retailers held less stock across the last quarter, leaving them better prepared for lower demand. It seems that bargain-hunting remained the order of the day as many consumers held off until discounts became available, which they did in various guises in the ten days before Christmas. Post-Christmas sales also drove footfall for the first few days.”