Scottish retailers report 'final flourish' to 2017
- Published
Scottish retailers enjoyed a "final flourish" to 2017 following a tough year, according to an industry report.
Overall sales rose by 0.8% last month, compared with the same period in 2016.
Total food sales were up by 4.4%, while non-food sales dropped by 0.4% when estimated online sales were taken into account.
Retailers said last-minute festive purchases and more discounting than in previous years meant the final month of the year ended on an optimistic note.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "These positive results for December provided a final flourish to what was otherwise a pretty tepid 2017 for Scottish retailers.
"Clothing and footwear were the stand-out performers, driven by online promotions, especially of branded items, trainers and children's shoes.
"Grocery sales maintained their strong run of late, helped by customers stocking up for Christmas and with evidence of trading up to more premium items."
He added: "The spotlight now turns to the year ahead and whether this welcome uptick in December heralds the start of a more sustained recovery in the growth of total retail sales or a further nail-biting period ahead for Scotland's shopkeepers."