Air fryers and energy saving goods boost Scottish retail sales

Sales of energy-saving goods like air fryers and heated clothes airers helped boost retail sales in Scotland in December.

Slow cookers, blankets and bedding were also popular among consumers looking to reduce their household bills.

Last month's cold snap also boosted sales of winter coats and boots.

Meanwhile, seasonal festivities and home entertaining lifted purchases of tableware, food and drink, the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said.

Its latest figures showed a year-on-year rise of 11.3% in total sales.

In real terms - taking inflation into account - retail sales grew by 3.9%, the highest rate in three years.

SRC director David Lonsdale said after two "miserable" years, retailers were "finally able to toast sparkling Christmas sales as 2022 finished with a flourish".

He said: "December's retail sales shone compared to recent months, and the comparable month the year before, as shoppers returned to spending and took advantage of the first Christmas in three years without pandemic-era curbs or instructions to shun socialising."

But he warned retailers were "far from being out of the woods yet" because of the pandemic's economic legacy and high inflation.

KPMG head of retail Paul Martin said shops faced a challenging few months ahead, with consumers managing rising interest rates and energy prices by cutting non-essential spending.

He also warned that industrial action across a number of sectors could also affect sales.

He added: "The strong demand across certain categories that has protected some retailers will undoubtedly fall away so we can expect high street casualties as we head into the spring.

"The first half of the year will be tough for retail and a case of survival of the fittest, but we expect to see demand increase as 2023 progresses."