The Scottish retail sector grew in the second quarter of 2011 and outperformed the GB sector over the year according to figures released yesterday by Scotland's Chief Statistician.
Date:
Thu, 04 Aug 2011
Source:
Scottish Government
Scottish Government:
website
Second quarter retail sales figures show that:
The volume of Retail Sales in Scotland grew by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 and by 1.8 per cent annually. The volume of Retail Sales in GB grew by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 and by 1.2 per cent annually.
The value of Retail Sales in Scotland grew by 0.8 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 and by 3.3 per cent. In GB, the value of Retail Sales grew by 0.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 and by 2.9 per cent annually.
Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing said:
"While it is encouraging that retail sales in Scotland have increased in the second quarter of this year and annually, and that Scotland is outperforming the position south of the Border, there can be absolutely no grounds for complacency.
"The fact that the Scottish retail sector is showing some resilience against a background of the UK's weak quarter 2 growth in GDP suggests that measures taken by this government, such as the council tax freeze and no compulsory redundancies in the employees under our control, are having a positive impact in bolstering consumer confidence.
"However, more needs to be done and recovery needs to be strengthened. That's why we are urging the UK Government to prioritise growth and support job security to boost consumer confidence - which is being undermined by inflation, fuel prices and other pressures - by developing an economic Plan B or flexibility. The Chancellor needs to acknowledge that economic conditions have changed, and act now to implement measures to aid recovery."
The 2011 Q2 Retail Sales Index (RSI) for Scotland
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