Name

Ian McConnell

Bio

I have been with The Herald since 1995. Since 2003, I have edited a business section which is focused on Scottish and exclusive content, while covering the big national and international stories. I write about companies across all sectors, and take a keen interest in key economic issues.

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  • The seasonally adjusted drop in sales volumes, reported yesterday by the Office for National Statistics, contrasted with economists' consensus forecast of a flat position. It followed a 0.6% drop in retail sales in March, although volumes had jumped by 2.1% in February after a decline of 0.7% in January.

    Food sales were particularly weak in April, with volumes in this category down 4.1% month-on-month. This was the steepest monthly fall in food sales since May 2011. Non-food sales rose by 1.9% month-on-month in April, having dropped by 3.5% in March.

  • The survey, published yesterday by accountancy firm BDO, showed that rooms yield or revenue per available room in the hotel sector in Scotland in March was up 5.9% on a year earlier at £45.89. Rooms yield is calculated by multiplying occupancy by the average room rate achieved.

    Occupancy in the Scottish hotel sector came in at 69.6% in March, up from 68.5% a year earlier.

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Name

Ian McConnell

Job Title

Group Business Editor
0141 302 7142

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