SCOTTISH retail sales last month showed their sharpest real-terms, year-on-year drop for any December since comparable records began in 1999, the latest industry figures reveal.

The weakness was driven by non-food sales, which tend to reflect the more discretionary element of consumer spending.

The figures, published today by the Scottish Retail Consortium, show the value of sales north of the Border in December was down by 1% on the same month of the previous year. Non-food sales value last month was down 2.8% on December 2017. Food sales value showed a 1.3% year-on-year rise.

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In the UK as a whole, sales value in December was flat compared with the same month of 2017, according to figures last week from the British Retail Consortium.

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The SRC noted, taking into account annual shop-price inflation put at 0.3% in the UK as a whole by the BRC and market researcher Nielsen, retail sales north of the Border last month were down by 1.3% on December 2017 in real terms.

It said this was the worst year-on-year movement for any December since its Scottish sales monitor began in 1999.

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The 1% year-on-year fall in Scottish retail sales value last month was the worst for any December since 2014. However, it was not as bad as the 1.6% year-on-year fall in retail sales value in November.

Ewan MacDonald-Russell, head of policy and external affairs at the SRC, said: “There was little Christmas cheer for retailers with the worst real-term December sales figures in 20 years.

“It’s clear stores have suffered as consumer spending is pared back under pressure from inflation, rising household costs and against a backdrop of uncertainty.”

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