THERE was no let up in the tough market for food and drink in Scotland in July in figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium/KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
In marked contrast to non-food lines, which adjusted for inflation showed their best result since October last year, total food sales in Scotland in July were down 4.5%. Like-for-like sales slumped still more, down 4.9%.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium said: “Grocery sales recorded their poorest results since the monitor started 16 years ago. The continuing lean period for grocery retailers won’t have been helped by a dearth of sporting successes this summer which often help drive celebratory purchases of food and drink, or the lack of sales of barbecue-related fayre.”
