Wet June stagnates Scottish retail

The unseasonably wet weather in June has been blamed for stagnation

in  Scottish retail sales as figures released by the Scottish Retail  Consortium and KPMG show zero growth in like-for-like sales in the  month.

 While total sales in June were 1.2% up on June 2011, like-for-like  sales did not grow at all but were still better than June last year  when they fell by 1.8%.  The June figures marked the fifteenth month in a row that UK sales  growth exceeded that in Scotland, said the SRC.

 Richard Lim, an economist with SRC, said:  "June's prolonged wet  weather has caused Scottish retail to stagnate. Consumers remain  cautious about their personal finances and lower temperatures have  cooled demand for summer fashions and outdoor leisure goods. With  shops full of seasonal stock, retailers are hoping a possible Indian  summer delivers some salvation.