THE volume and value of Scottish retail sales both grew by 2.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter during the three months to September, official figures have shown.

These seasonally-adjusted increases were ahead of respective rises of 1.8 per cent and two per cent in the volume and value of retail sales in Great Britain as a whole between the second and third quarters.

Solid growth in sales was achieved by small and medium-sized, and large retailers in Scotland in the third quarter, according to the figures published yesterday by the Scottish Government.

Small and medium-sized retailers in Scotland achieved a 2.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter rise in sales volumes. Large retailers in Scotland posted a 1.5 per cent increase.

In Scotland, the volume and value of retail sales in the third quarter were up by 4.9 per cent and 3.2 per cent respectively on the same period of last year. In Great Britain as a whole, retail sales volume and value showed respective year-on-year growth of 5.4 per cent and 3.7 per cent in the third quarter.