15/12/2010 - Christmas shopping time 'condensed'
With severe winter conditions having affected travel in the run-up to Christmas, shopping for the season has been condensed to two weeks leaving retailers anxious, a retail expert has said.
According to head of retail in Scotland for KPMG, David McCorquodale, supply outlets will come under increasing pressure with stores trying to keep products in stock during the busy season.
Data from the SRC-KPMG Scottish Retail Sales Monitor (SRSM) shows that like-for-like sales for food and non-food goods in November remained the same as the same period a year ago.
Actual value changes of retail sales, not including vehicle fuel, and considering VAT, are measured by the SRSM.
Total sales in Scotland - which include revenue from newly opened stores and expansions along with existing outlets - have gone up by 3.4% compared with 12 months earlier, when they had increased 2.8%.
However, in November, like-for-like sales in Scotland were more dismal than in the rest of the UK, where sales had risen 0.7% on 12 months ago.
Mr McCorquodale said: "With the build-up to Christmas already slower than last year, the snow that arrived in the last weekend of November brought the country to a shuddering halt for around 10 days.
"With many consumers residing in the central belt unable to get to their shops, this year's Christmas shopping will be squeezed into two weeks. This will put pressure on the supply chains of retailers if they are to get the right availability of the right stock on their shelves."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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