THE rate of year-on-year growth in Scottish retail sales value more than doubled from 0.7% in February to 1.8% in March, but was less than half the comparable UK-wide pace of 3.7%, the latest industry figures show.
The Scottish Retail Consortium's (SRC's) latest monthlymonitor, published today, also shows that the value of food sales in Scotland in March was up 5.2% on the same month of last year.
However, the value of non-food sales, the more discretionary element of consumer spending, was last month down 1.4% on March 2012.
This weakness in non-food sales reflected partly the impact of prolonged cold weather on the clothing and footwear category, which last month registered its worst year-on-year showing since April 2012.
However, the overall March sales figures were boosted by Easter falling earlier this year.
The British Retail Consortium, which earlier this month published figures showing the value of UK retail sales in March was up 3.7% year-on-year, has put annual UK shop price inflation last month at 1.4%. The 1.8% year-on-year rise in the value of Scottish retail sales in March therefore signals a modest annual rise in volumes.
The SRC figures show the value of retail sales in Scotland in the first quarter was up 1.6% on the same period of 2012.
SRC director-general Fiona Moriarty said of the latest figures: "All in all, this is a decent showing which rounds off the best quarter for Scottish sales since March 2011.
"While Scottish sales growth still lags behind the UK as a whole, this puts... (the) total three-month average firmly back into positive territory after a fairly subdued February.
"The chilly conditions spelled bad news for fashion retailers, putting demand for the new season clothing and footwear ranges on ice for much of the month and resulting in a decline for the category.
"But food fared better, as the continuing cold fuelled demand for 'winter warmers', and family and friends got together to celebrate Easter."
She described the March sales figures as "a respectable result considering the impact of the coldest March for 50 years".
However, she added: "We need to bear in mind that the Easter weekend flatters the figures, as it fell in March this year but (in) April in 2012.
"With no bank holiday boost on offer this April, Scottish retailers will be hoping that growth doesn't go in the other direction after such a promising start to the year."
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