Sales for Scottish retailers grew a moderate 0.8% in the latest quarter while shoppers across the UK returned to the high street, new figures have shown.
The Scottish Retail Sales Index found that the volume of retail sales grew by 0.8% in the second quarter of 2014 and by 2.9% over the last year.
This compares to sales in UK which increased by 1.6% in volume terms during the second quarter of 2014, growing by 4.5% annually.
Euan Murray, Relationship Director of Barclays Corporate Banking, Scotland welcomed the Scottish government statistics “despite mixed reports across the market”.
He added: “Retail parks continue to outperform the high street but both have benefitted from the impact of a late Easter and the onset of summer holiday shopping.
“The summer’s warm weather and programme of major cultural and sporting events, which bring with them an influx of domestic and foreign tourists, should see consumer spend increase.
“With Scottish GDP improving and employment on the rise, all the signs point to continued growth.”
Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, David Lonsdale, said growth in the annual figures was “heartening”.
He added: “While it is ultimately up to retailers to work hard to sustain this, government at every level can assist by channelling their collective energies into ensuring that the retail industry, Scotland’s largest private sector employer, is even better placed to be able to invest, expand and create jobs.
“Policies which put money into people’s pockets, keep down the cost of doing business, and facilitate retail investment and expansion should be prioritised.”