Thaw, VAT rush and sales lure shoppers back in record surge

Scottish stores have enjoyed a "phenomenal" surge in sales as shoppers flocked through the doors in the aftermath of the recent white-out conditions, according to retail chiefs.

• Retailers had two real aces up their sleeves to offset the pressures on consumers

Many shops faced a virtual "write-off" in the grip of last month's Arctic blast, with fashion giant Next this week confirming it lost 22 million in sales in the run-up to Christmas.

But Scots hit the sales in record numbers, with some stores reporting a "triple surge" in bargain-hunters.

Aberdeen's Union Square had more than 1.1 million shoppers in December - up 29 per cent on the same period last year.

The first three shopping days of 2011 - January 2, 3 and 4 - saw 114,000 customers pass through store doors, up 50 per cent on last year.

"We've had an exceptionally busy Christmas period," said general manager Ryan Manson.

"The sales period has been very strong. Expensive electrical items in particular have been selling well but we have also seen a lot of people in the restaurants too."

The popular Livingston Designer Outlet reported a 25 per cent sales increase on last year over the week since Boxing Day, with the number of shoppers also up 9 per cent.

Centre manager Karen Stewart said: "Sales from Boxing Day onwards were phenomenal, with the centre seeing double-digit growth compared to last year. Fashion was high on many shoppers' lists."

Womenswear sales in the centre were up 50 per cent year-on-year, accessories sales up 56 per cent, and multi wear up 46 per cent year-on-year. Thursday, 30 December was a peak day with sales up 93 per cent compared to the same time last year, and footfall for the day up 71 per cent.

Edinburgh's Fort Kinnaird retail park and the Glasgow Fort both recorded a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of shoppers over the post-Christmas period.

Fiona Moriarty, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said November and December were "difficult" months because of the weather.

She said: "The adverse weather was a major issue for retailers for most of December, but shoppers battled on and things picked up in the last week before Christmas and there was very brisk and heavy trade between Christmas and Hogmanay.

"Consumers were very conscious of the looming VAT rise, so shoppers got out on to the high street and purchased 'large ticket' items in particular."

Dennis Jones, centre manager at Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh, said the blizzard conditions in December had the biggest impact on sales.

He added: "You talk to anyone in retail and it was two weeks where people weren't travelling because of the roads and overall in December most people would be lucky to be even on the figures."The first two weeks were almost a write-off really.

"Then there was a surge towards the end as expected because there was this pent up demand and this was just about the time that the sales were starting, so it was almost a double whammy."

Peter Beagley, general manager at the Braehead Centre in Renfrewshire, said the centre has been "very busy" for the time of year.

"We had a triple surge of shoppers in recent weeks," he said.

"First, after the extremely bad weather early to mid-December, secondly, during the sales which were launched by our stores and thirdly, the run-up to the VAT increase this week."

Fashion chain Next has said it lost 22m in sales as a result of December's big freeze on festive trading, while HMV's UK and Ireland like-for-like sales slumped by 13.6 per cent in the five weeks to 1 January.

However, department store John Lewis notched sales of 545m in the period - an increase of 8.9 per cent - after online sales rose by 42 per cent on a year earlier.