The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has reported a “disappointing” June for the country’s retailers, as total sales drop 0.5 per cent.
According to the latest SRC-KPMG retail sales monitor, overall food sales were up 4.2 per cent, but this was offset by non-food sales dropping by the same figure.
Poor weather alongside inflationary pressures have been attributed to the fall in sales, as the renewed real-terms wage decline put shoppers off buying non-essential goods.
“Scottish retail‘s struggle continued in June, and the figures paint a familiar picture – strong food sales negated by poor non-food performance,” KPMG Scotland head of retail Craig Cavin said.
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“The drop in non-food sales, down 4.2 per cent compared to last year, is becoming something of a bleak trend, whilst poor sales in summer ranges and the late arrival of some discounts put a dent in clothing figures. Elsewhere in non-food, the dreich weather impacted on sales of outdoor furniture.”
SRC head of policy and external affairs Ewan MacDonald-Russell added it had been “a disappointing June for retailers as nervous customers continue to postpone discretionary spending due to squeezed household incomes and worries about the economy”.
“Our concern is inflation on essential goods is now forcing cash-strapped consumers to put off discretionary spending, which exacerbates the pressure on shops,” he said.
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