Scottish food sales rose by 6% in March compared to 2019 levels, driven by higher inflation and a stronger desire to eat at home, the latest data has found.
Overall, retail March sales were up 0.6% compared with March 2019, when they had grown by 0.3%, marking the first time of growth since the Covid crisis hit.
Looking at food sales, March figures were below the three-month average growth of 6.2% and above the 12-month average growth of 4.1%, the latest report from the Scottish Retail Consortium and KPMG found.
Ewan MacDonald-Russell, Head of Policy, Scottish Retail Consortium said: “The first Mother’s Day in three years where Scots could visit family led to strong food sales as well as a boost for fashion and beauty lines.
“Retailers also noted the endemic supply challenges had eased slightly this month; helping furniture and electrical shops.”
However, rising costs and the general geopolitical circumstances make this “too early to call” as a return to normality, Paul Martin, Partner, UK Head of Retail, KPMG added.
“As households feel the pressure, retailers are facing their own battle with rising costs and inflation, and are walking a tightrope between absorbing rising costs themselves or passing these on to consumers.
“Successful retailers will continue to maintain a clear understanding of their customer, what they want to buy and how, whilst balancing attention on areas that can yield cost and efficiency gains.”
