November retail trading in Scotland has been described as “lacklustre”, with experts expecting a “weak” Christmas for shopping in the country.

According to the latest Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC)-KPMG retail sales monitor, sales in Scotland increased by 3.1 per cent from October to November, significantly down from the 8 per cent increase experienced in the same period of 2022.

The monitor notes that, adjusted for inflation, retail sales fell by 1.2 per cent. This is the fifth successive month of declining retail performance in Scotland.

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, of the SRC, said: "Shoppers continue to shy away from larger purchases, and it appears many are holding back festive gift spending - either hoping for further discounts ahead of Christmas itself or just cutting back in the face of the continued cost-of-living squeeze."

Paul Martin, of KPMG, said: "Looking ahead to the early months of 2024, the challenges are expected to persist, posing a threat to the sector and potentially leading to more casualties, especially for online retailers facing over 28 consecutive months of sales decline."

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