After a sluggish three months, Scotland’s retailers finally saw a modest pick-up in sales last month, according to new figures.

The Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) and KPMG reported that sales in August were up 1.1% compared to the same time last year. While the increase may seem small, it was a noticeable improvement on the three-month average of just 0.2%.

Much of the growth came from non-food purchases, with more shoppers heading out to stores and buying online. Once adjusted for inflation, sales were only 0.3% higher than in August 2024 — but still marked the strongest month since April.

SRC director David Lonsdale called the results “a decent performance” after an underwhelming summer. He noted that back-to-school and university season boosted sales of laptops, gaming consoles, and other tech. Furniture also sold well, especially beds and bedside cabinets, while health and beauty products and DIY items continued to perform strongly.

Not every sector fared as well, though. Clothing and footwear sales weakened, with many shoppers turning to second-hand or “pre-loved” options instead of buying new.

Lonsdale said the modest improvement was encouraging as retailers head into the all-important “golden quarter” — the run-up to Black Friday and Christmas. But he warned that shopkeepers are still under pressure from rising government-mandated costs and are hoping for some relief in upcoming budgets.

KPMG’s UK head of retail, Linda Ellett, added that home appliances, DIY, and garden products also saw a lift in August. New smartphone launches helped push up mobile sales, while computing items benefitted from the back-to-school rush.

“Retailers will now be weighing up what sold — and what didn’t — over the summer as they prepare their stock for the crucial final quarter of the year,” Ellett said. Photo by Mary and Angus Hogg, Wikimedia commons.