Scottish retail footfall returned to growth in May as warmer weather helped draw shoppers back to stores.

Footfall across Scotland rose 0.4 per cent year on year in the four weeks from 3 to 30 May, according to the latest SRC-Sensormatic data, rebounding from a 5.2 per cent fall in April.

The result made Scotland the best-performing UK nation or region for retail footfall during the month.

Shopping centres saw footfall rise 1.3 per cent year on year, while retail parks posted a 1.5 per cent uplift, suggesting shoppers made use of warmer weather and bank holiday periods to visit physical retail destinations.

Edinburgh was the strongest-performing city in the UK, with footfall up 2.5 per cent year on year in May, recovering from a 3.8 per cent decline in April.

Glasgow footfall slipped 0.6 per cent, although it still performed ahead of most major UK cities.

Across the rest of the UK, London footfall was flat year on year, while Northern Ireland was down 1 per cent. England recorded a 3 per cent decline, Wales dropped 5 per cent and the South West of England was the weakest-performing region, down 5.3 per cent.

Scottish Retail Consortium deputy head Ewan MacDonald-Russell said: “Scottish retail footfall just about stayed positive as the warm weather outweighed consumer concerns about the economy.

“Footfall overall was up by 0.4 per cent, the best figures in the UK, as Scots enjoyed the eventual arrival of the sunshine.

“Edinburgh continues to perform well, partly driven by strong visitor numbers, to be the best performing city in the country. Glasgow saw slightly reduced footfall but still outperformed much of the rest of the UK.

“Shopping centres and retail parks both saw rises in footfall, indicative that these were popular on the bank holidays.”

However, MacDonald-Russell warned that retailers still face a difficult trading backdrop, with consumer confidence under pressure and inflation expected to rise in the coming months.

“Whilst the figures might look sunny there remain significant clouds on the horizon,” he said.

“Consumer confidence remains depressed as a result of the costs accruing from the international instability.

“The new Scottish Government will need to tread carefully with their policy interventions if they don’t wish to exacerbate those concerns.”

Sensormatic Solutions EMEA retail consultant Andy Sumpter said May had brought “a modest but welcome improvement” for Scottish retail.

“Consumer confidence may be edging up slightly, but it remains fragile, with geopolitical uncertainty continuing to weigh on discretionary spend,” he said.

“While May’s growth is modest, it suggests Scotland is holding firmer ground rather than seeing a full retreat from physical retail.

“For retailers, the challenge and the opportunity lie in building on this resilience, converting purposeful visits into meaningful spend by delivering the right mix of value, relevance and experience as we head into the summer months.”

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter