The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has suggested that customers could be set to benefit from intense competition on the high street this Christmas.
Data compiled by the industry group indicated a modest recent increase in sales values, although the BRC pointed out that this may have been driven largely by inflation rather than a rebound in consumer sentiment. The body warned that the impending festive period could well prove make-or-break for some retailers.
“Christmas has always been the most important time for retail but this year is going to be particularly critical as businesses look to make up lost ground. Customers can expect to benefit from extremely fierce competition for their spending,” said BRC director-general Stephen Robertson.
However, the BRC noted that this month’s Indian summer had added to the retail sector’s concerns, with shoppers showing relatively little interest in winter clothing and footwear as temperatures soared. Sales of big-ticket items such as electronics, meanwhile, have been sluggish throughout the year.
However, the latest BRC-KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor indicated year-on-year growth of 0.8 per cent in September. Like-for-like sales, on the other hand, were down by 0.6 per cent on the same point in 2010.
