Scottish retail sales rise in first quarter
- Published
Retail sales in Scotland grew slightly in the first three months of the year, according to official statistics.
The figures, released by the Scottish government, showed a 0.7% rise in the volume of sales, while there was a 0.9% increase in value.
The <link> <caption>Retail Sales Index</caption> <url href="http://scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Economy/RSI2012Q1" platform="highweb"/> </link> showed year-on-year growth of 0.6% by volume, compared with a 0.4% increase for the UK as a whole.
The value of Scottish sales climbed by 3% on an annual basis.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "Official figures show that the volume of retail sales is on a upward trend again, after remaining flat over the past two years.
"The 0.7% increase in volume this quarter follows a 0.9% rise in the final quarter of last year."
Mr Swinney added: "This expansion is welcome but the sector continues to face challenging conditions."
Last month, a <link> <caption>Scottish Retail Consortium survey</caption> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-17742174" platform="highweb"/> </link> suggested sales rose to their best overall performance for nearly a year.
SRC said the figures had been boosted by record-breaking temperatures in March.
- Published18 April 2012
- Published14 March 2012
- Published18 January 2012