The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) has urged the Holyrood government to do more to boost the retail industry north of the border.
According to the latest SRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, total sales were up by 1.6 per cent last month on the same point in 2010 - when they increased by 3.4 per cent - making it the weakest December for the Scottish retail sector since 1999.
“Consumer confidence is lower and falling faster in Scotland than at UK level as fears about incomes, jobs and the wider economy continue,” said SRC director Ian Shearer. “In this tough climate, it's even more important that the government minimises the costs it's responsible for.”
Mr Shearer called on the SNP-led administration to reconsider retail taxes, business rates and “the burden of regulation”. The Scottish government has come under fire for its so-called supermarket tax, which would see large retailers levied to offset the costs to public health of heavy drinking.
Earlier in the week, a British Retail Consortium report revealed that the cost of retail crime across the UK rose sharply in 2011.
