More Scottish shoppers are clicking online and collecting at retail parks as the country embraces the fastest-growing buying experience.

Around three times as many shoppers are buying online and collecting at retail parks north of the Border than in the UK at a whole, the Scottish Retail Consortium said.

A significant factor in the increase was the ongoing and apparently accelerating attractiveness of retail parks to shoppers, which was said to be as a result of a number of changes in both the site formats as many become more leisure oriented, but also critically their role as key click and collect points for online transactions.

Major retailers are making it easier for buyers to choose what they want at home on their computer and then often offering next day collect services at their stores and such services are expanding, with both Sainsbury's and Debenhams among those to cite the process as growing in popularity.

Diane Wehrle, Marketing and Insights Director at Springboard, said: "The 1.7 per cent increase in footfall in Scotland's retail destinations in March compares favourably to the 0.2 per cent increase across the UK.

"However, the polarisation of shopper activity was far more pronounced in Scotland, with footfall in out-of-town locations increasing by 12.7 per cent compared with 3.8 per cent in retail parks across the UK, but with decreases in footfall in both high streets and shopping centres."

A number of factors came into play to bring about this uplift in retail parks which included the timing of Easter two weeks earlier than last year which meant that the two key trading days of Good Friday and Easter Saturday fell in the March trading period this year rather than in April.

Although footfall in out-of-town locations fared the best with the 3.8 per cent increase year-on-year, shopping centres reported a 0.4 per cent rise.

Scotland was among areas in the UK reporting the greatest increases in footfall.

The Scottish summary said that footfall in March was 0.2 per cent higher than a year ago, an improvement on the 0.5 per cent fall in February,.

This is above the three-month average 0.5 per cent decrease and best overall footfall performance since September 2014.

The High Streets were the only location to report a decline, falling 1.4 per cent.

In March, UK footfall numbers were sitting at 1.7 per cent higher than a year ago and up on the 1.2 per cent rise in February 2015.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "These are heartening figures and record a second successive monthly expansion in footfall growth across Scotland's shopping destinations.

"This is the best performance since September and means footfall in Scotland has risen in 10 of the past 12 months, comparing favourably with other parts of the UK.

"Retailers are clearly working hard to attract custom through improved service, pricing and promotions but whether this, coupled with encouraging news of late on rising employment and wages, translates into a greater propensity to spend in shops or online remains to be seen.

"We should have a better understanding when our retail sales data is released next week.

"The outcome of the UK General Election is only three weeks away, and the retail industry in Scotland is looking to the next government to deliver a convincing plan to boost business and consumer confidence."