High street retailers see 4.8% drop in footfall

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Sale signs on Buchanan Street GlasgowImage source, Getty Images

High street retailers in Scotland saw a 4.8% dip in footfall last month, according to the latest figures.

Footfall across all stores fell by 2.8% in July - a third successive month of decline - but retail parks bucked the trend with recorded growth of 2.4%.

The town centre vacancy rate remained at 9.8%, with one in every 10 shops lying empty.

The figures were published in the monthly Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and Springboard Monitor.

Free parking

Diane Wehrle from Springboard, said consumer demand was becoming ever-more polarised between convenience and experience.

She added: "The stronger performance of Scotland's out-of-town destinations reflects the fact that retail parks are successfully bridging the convenience-experience gap.

"They not only offer consumers accessible shopping environments with free parking and easy click and collect opportunities for online purchases, but many also combine this with an enhanced experience that includes coffee shops and casual dining restaurants, and some also have leisure facilities."