'Dismal' weather dampens high street sales in February

Sales stalled on Scotland's high streets last month in the face of tough trading conditions and dismal weather, according to a survey.

The SRC-KPMG retail sales monitor found total sales fell year-on-year by 0.8%. Adjusted for deflation, the fall was 0.1%.

Retailers reported that grocery, health products and some indoor categories such as electrical items fared well.

But fashion and footwear recorded its weakest performance since last May.

While total food sales were up by 2.9% on February 2019, non-food sales decreased by 3.8%.

Scottish Retail Consortium director David Lonsdale said the latest figures underlined how difficult trading conditions were in February.

'Little respite'

He said: "There was little respite for shoppers or shopkeepers, who were buffeted by a maelstrom of multiple storms and dismal weather which kept customers at bay, shrinking footfall in the process.

"Even before the onset of coronavirus, retailers were facing serious headwinds of drooping demand and rising costs."

Paul Martin, UK head of retail for KPMG, said: "While Brexit was the dominant theme in 2019, retailers are now preparing for a potentially far greater challenge from coronavirus, with demand likely seriously impacted for at least the next few weeks.

"Despite the overwhelming scale of the problems ahead, the retail sector in Scotland is working tirelessly to evolve and survive.

"Now is the time for political leaders to work closely with the industry to prevent potentially irreversible damage from this global crisis."