THE festive period has delivered a record boost to retailers as shoppers swarmed to malls and centres in search of presents and bargains.

Scotland's main shopping centres say that the number of visitors coming through their doors in the run up to Christmas and when sales began on Boxing Day is up on last year, while takings at the tills have also improved.

The news comes as a report from the British Retail Consortium found that store owners expect 2015 to be a good year as improving fortunes in the economy boost people's spending power.

Shopping centre managers across Scotland said that Christmas 2014 had been good for business and that their retailers were enjoying strong sales.

David Pierotti, general manager, of the Silverburn shopping centre in Glasgow, said: "We've been extremely busy throughout the festive period with retailers reporting bumper sales and record takings.

"Footfall was up by 13.2 per cent on the same week last year, while Boxing day saw a like for like increase of 5.7 per cent."

"We planned ahead and hired an additional 100 security and car park attendants which assisted greatly in ensuring a positive shopping experience and stress-free parking for everyone coming to the centre throughout the week."

The most sought after sale items at the centre were said to be jewellery, ladies fashion, toys, gadgets and technology. Customers were also flocking to the centre's restaurants, meaning that spending was not just confined to stores.

Gary Turnbull, General manager at intu Braehead near Glasgow said that people had shown an "amazing" appetite for shopping since the Boxing Day sales began.

He said: "There's been no let-up in the bargain hunt and we've been extremely busy since last Friday and shoppers seem to have got their second wind.

"The January sales are still a key period in the retail calendar for generating revenue through the tills and we expect to be very busy in the first few days of 2015."

Kathy Murdoch, centre manager at Buchanan Galleries, added: "We have had a very busy festive period and shoppers have been out in force at the sales.

"All of our stores benefitted from the early morning Boxing Day rush and shoppers have continued to visit in their droves in the run up to the end of the year."

Shopper numbers were also up on last year atAberdeen's Union Square shopping centre.

General manager Ryan Manson said: "We had a very busy run up to Christmas and this has continued since Boxing Day with shoppers keen to snap up deals. Footfall was up 10 per cent on Monday and 6 per cent yesterday.

"Our shops, restaurants and cinema are open late and there's a definite trend among shoppers from both Aberdeen City and Shire to visit us day and night for combined cinema, dinning and shopping trips.

"Many of our 70 stores will continue their sales on 2nd, and throughout January, so there are still great deals to be found."

Meanwhile, a British Retail Consortium survey found that many of their members expect an improvement in sales, investment and employment levels during the next twelve months.

The report showed that 76 per cent of respondents reported that they expected better sales in 2015 compared with 2014, while three out of four said they were likely to be employing more staff next year.

Chief among retailers worries were concerns that weak consumer demand would return, while many called for fundamental reform of business rates.

David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "One need only look at any high street or town centre in Scotland to see why, with one in every eleven shops lying empty yet retailers having to stump up over a quarter of all rates paid.

"A failure to reform business rates could lead to the country missing out on investment, career opportunities and innovation. Doing nothing is not an option, and there is a growing consensus for reform across a range of industry sectors."-