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Daily Record
7 days ago
- Daily Record
Scotland's streets of shame as figures show city shopping areas the worst for crime
New police figures show that some of Scotland's most popular shopping locations are in the top ten streets for crime Scotland's famous city shopping streets have become the nation's crime hotspots, the Daily Record can reveal. Shock figures released by police show Argyle Street in the centre of Glasgow – which has hundreds of shops and stores – had more crimes than any other thoroughfare in the country. Nearby Sauchiehall Street and Buchanan Street take the second and third spot in the most crime-hit streets. Fourth on the top ten was Union Street in Aberdeen with 764, fifth was Union Street in Glasgow with 747 and sixth was Princes Street in Edinburgh with 719. The figures which were released under Freedom of Information are for the financial year 2023/24 and include all crimes. The revelations come at a time of record numbers of shoplifting cases across Scotland. Yesterday there were calls for tougher action to try to halt the rising tide of theft and other crime. David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: "Soaring rates of shop thefts are a scourge on high streets across Scotland and are a key factor behind rising levels of abuse and threats towards store workers. The financial cost pushes up prices for shoppers and undermines the health and vitality of our city centres and retail destinations. 'Despite better legal protections for shop workers and record spending by retailers on crime prevention, much more needs to be done to reduce thieving from stores. We need a concerted effort across law enforcement and the criminal justice system as a whole to turn the tide on crime against retailers.' Glasgow had eight of the top ten streets in Scotland for recorded crime. Number seven in the top ten was Helen Street in Govan with 664 crime reports, followed by London Road in the east end with 598, Maryhill Road with 581 and Dumbarton Road in the west of the city with 573. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. In June, the Daily Record revealed how shoplifting is at its highest level for more than 50 years fuelled by organised crime, drugs and the cost-of-living crisis. Scottish Government figures showed shoplifting increased last year by 16 per cent from 38,674 cases to 44,730. It represents a 57 per cent rise in the 10 year period between 2015 and 2025. Yesterday shopkeepers based in Argyle Street told of how shoplifting has become an everyday norm. Hatem Fouchali, 45, is manager of the King of Bling clothing shop opposite Glasgow Central Station. He gets between two and three shoplifting incidents a week targeting the stores designer clothing and sportswear which includes £90 basketball tops. Hatem says the thieves are normally opportunist and often work in pairs with one pretending to show the other an item of clothing before pilfering it. Hatem added: "We had a couple of women aged 20-25 and two men in their mid 30's trying to steal clothing last week. "Both were working in pairs. We managed to stop them and get the clothing back. However when we looked at the CCTV later we realised that the two men had got away with a top which we hadn't noticed at the time." Hatem says that the number of shoplifting incidents have steadily increased over the years and it is the worst he has known it. His staff don't always call the police but are happy to recover the stolen items and throw the shoplifters out the store Hatem however would like to see more officers on the beat on Argyle Street He added:"If there is an incident on Argyle Street the police are always quick to react. "But that is normally the only time you see them. "I think if there were officers regularly patrolling up and down during the day that would be a big deterrent to shoplifting and other crime. Central Park who are next door say they are regularly targeted by shoplifters particularly groups of young male and female thieves who come into the shop and steal a variety of items from bars of chocolate to vaping products. Shop worker Shabaz Aslan, 30, says the thieves often come in with bags then fill them up with stolen items. He added:"When we try to stop them they say there is nothing we can do because of their age." Recently a group of four teenage girls came in and brazenly walked away with a full display of mobile phone accessories. Luqman Naseer, 30, works at Phone Expert in Argyle Street's pedestrianised area. Their main problem is customers who ask to see an expensive phone and then run away with it - which happens once or twice a month. The Daily Record also spoke with a senior investigator for a well known retail chain which has two shops in the city-centre in Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street. He says they have around 15 shoplifting incidents a week and work closely with the police Those caught shoplifting range from drug addicts to students. The investigator said security staff have been assaulted and spat on by shoplifters they have confronted with stolen goods. including soft toys. Police Scotland have set up Operation Dynos to tackle shoplifting across Scotland using a £3m funding allocation from the Scottish Government. One concern is vulnerable young people who they say are being targeted by organised criminals to steal alcohol from stores. The stolen goods are then resold, with profits being used to purchase drugs and fund further criminal activity by the gangs. Detective Inspector Vicki Douglas, who leads Operation Dynos, said: 'Retail crime is not victimless and in fact, what we've seen are some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities being actively recruited and indoctrinated into the theft and resale of goods from stores in the region by organised criminals for their financial gain. "We are committed to tackling retail crime, while at the same time safeguarding young people from harm and coercion into criminal behaviour." Police say are also working closely with British Transport Police to reduce anti-social behaviour and crime in the area around Central Station. A spokesperson added: "The busiest and most densely populated areas will result in a higher number of crimes being reported. "These city centre areas include busy shopping areas and popular night-time economies. "Dedicated policing plans are in place with high visibility patrols to deal with various aspects of criminal behaviour. Officers also work closely with local businesses, licensed and retail premises to provide support and ensure there is a consistent approach to tackling crime and disorder."
Scotsman
22-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Readers' Letters: Scotland's tax system isn't to blame for state of economy
David Lonsdale of the Scottish Retail Consortium has called on the Scottish Government to reduce business rates Underinvestment, inequality and political drift are the big problems for Scotland's economy, says reader Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Blaming Scotland's modestly more progressive tax system for UK-wide economic stagnation is a red herring. The reality is that our economic woes are driven by long-term underinvestment, inequality, and political drift, not by slightly higher taxes on top earners in Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In fact, compared to many similar countries, including those we often admire – like Germany or the Nordic nations – Scotland's personal tax rates remain lower. People in these countries often pay more in tax, while enjoying more disposable income overall because strong social infrastructure, like cheaper childcare and housing, reduce everyday costs. This in turn creates the basis for a dynamic economy, with thriving businesses and higher standards of living for most people. Fair taxation isn't the problem; it's part of the solution, alongside smarter public spending. Scotland's slightly fairer system is already raising hundreds of millions more to invest in public services and fund crucial payments to help lift children out of poverty. But there's still work to do. Council Tax is embarrassingly stuck in the 90s and deeply unfair. It's time to scrap it and bring in a fairer, modern system that taxes properties based on what they're actually worth. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad We also need action on pollution-spewing private jets; the Scottish Parliament has had the power to tax them since 2017. It's time to use it. And business rates are ripe for reform: not because businesses pay more than in England, but because the system should reward employers who do the right thing, like paying the Living Wage and cutting pollution. The Laffer Curve gets wheeled out as a warning, but the joke's on us. Other countries are laughing because they've worked it out: fair taxes, strong public services, and a thriving economy can go hand in hand. It's time Scotland did too. Lewis Ryder-Jones, Oxfam Scotland, Edinburgh Failures forward 'Free' is a word used by Alan Woodcock (Letters, 19 July) no less than six times in efforts to defend nearly two decades of profligate SNP failure, along with this party's shameless promotion of an unaffordable dependency culture. Mr Woodcock exhaustively lists 'Free tuition, free prescriptions, the Scottish Child Payment, free bus travel' etc. The Scottish Government is very good at giving away cash but haven't a clue how to generate the revenue needed for all these handouts. Without the Barnett Formula, such generosity would have to be financed through draconian taxation, savage cutbacks to other areas of state expenditure and/or frightening levels of unsustainable borrowing. Nationalist economic strategies consist of building highly subsidised, inefficient wind turbines while at the same time discouraging growth by penalising those very entrepreneurs who create most of our wealth in the first place. Separatists blame others for their lengthy catalogue of costly, abandoned projects such as Highly Protected Marine Areas, the deposit return and named person schemes, the Gender Recognition Bill and a petty, botched attempt to absorb British Transport Police north of the Border into Police Scotland. Not to mention the continuing ferry fiasco, a topic which our self-styled freedom fighters are noticeably reluctant to talk about. Martin O'Gorman, Edinburgh Spend on peace George Robertson's sabre-rattling call for increased defence spending ('Britain and its people 'not safe', warns ex-Nato chief', 19 July) must have been music to the ears of arms manufacturers and traders. It rivalled some of the most paranoid utterances of Conservative MPs during the Cold War. For decades we were told we needed to spend massive amounts on a nuclear deterrent to keep us safe. Now it appears that this was not true after all, and that we need massive spending on conventional armaments as well. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Let us be clear: any armed conflict between the UK and Russia or China would lead to incalculable casualties on all sides. Everyone involved would end up in an impoverished and broken society. We have only one planet and we need to find ways to share it in peace. There is no future in policing the world by demonising other states and fuelling an arms race. The scale of resources George Robertson wants to give to arms companies should instead be used to build mechanisms of international co-operation that would incentivise states financially to pursue their legitimate political and security interests within a multilateral framework. We have much to learn from the wisdom of those who rebuilt the world after 1945. Nigel Lindsay, Bo'ness, West Lothian Best defence Former Nato boss Lord Robertson's claim that the UK is 'not safe' (Editorial, 19 July) is no different from Britain's unpreparedness pre-World War Two. Even during the Battle of Britain in 1940 Moffat-born Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding lamented the lack of pilots, which he thought might cause Britain to lose and be invaded. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad According to Robertson we lack 'the ammunition, the training, the people, the spare parts, the logistics and we don't have the medical capacity...'. Given that Prime Minister Keir Starmer's number one priority is to keep Britain 'safe and secure', he has a long way to go. The Strategic Defence Review, co-authored by Robertson, emphasised more drones, equipment replenishment and AI complementing artillery are apparently learnings from the war in Ukraine. Surely the main lesson, however, is missile defence, given Russia's success in destroying key infrastructure and causing devastation to Ukrainian people. Recently Patriot missiles were promised as priority by Donald Trump to Vlodomeyer Zelensky. The Israeli Iron Dome system has proven largely successful against Iranian drones and ballistic missiles. The UK is wide open to such attack and has little defence against Russian hypersonic ballistic missiles. Instead of seeking 'war fighting readiness' the UK Government should be ensuring its citizens are kept 'safe and secure' through world leading cybersecurity, development of a missile defence shield and safeguarding of pipelines and cables. Given stretched resources, equipment and expertise should be concentrated in such niche areas rather than an extra £15 billion on nuclear warheads when missiles from our submarines fail on testing. Scotland has long led innovation in defence through niche technologies and would stand to benefit in the development anti-missile systems and defence cybersecurity. Neil Anderson, Edinburgh Look homeward With Holyrood elections not too far off, First Minister John Swinney appears to be an incredibly desperate figure. In an attempt to stop nationalists deserting the SNP for Alba and the Greens he tries to present his party as the natural choice for independence supporters while swiftly glossing over the SNP's long-running failure to hold a second referendum, let alone win one. Overseas conflicts are always a useful way for governments to distract voters from domestic policy failure, and so Swinney, even though foreign affairs are wholly reserved to Westminster, endlessly pontificates about the Middle Eastern conflict. Yet it seems few voters are fooled, preferring that he and his party focus on their domestic remit and effectively address, despite the efforts of front-line professionals, systemic failings in the NHS, our schools and transport. Martin Redfern, Melrose, Roxburghshire Bad friends Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It seems that to wear a T-shirt of an organisation that campaigns against genocide makes one terrorist in the eyes of the UK Government. But the same government arms and stands 'shoulder to shoulder' with a regime that has killed over 40,000 civilians and has starved and rendered homeless the survivors. This is a disgraceful perversion of values and priorities, but no more than we have come to expect from the British state. If any more reason for Scotland to free herself from the UK was needed, surely this us it . David Currie, Tarland, Aberdeenshire Principles devalued After a mere year in office, Labour is looking ever less electable, trailing Reform UK in the opinion polls. While Keir Starmer flourishes abroad, his popularity ratings at home are plummeting, even within his own party. The main complaint is that the Cabinet members are not listening to their backbenchers. Rather, they are inclined to suspend them at the slightest provocation. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Only last week four MPs, including, Scot Brian Leishman, had the whip withdrawn for nothing more culpable than backing Labour principles. Gone are the days of open and frank discussion and principled agreement to differ on questions like the two-child cap and Welfare Reform, among other things. Nothing reveals more that this Labour government is on the wrong side of history than their shameful treatment of Diane Abbott. Lauded by Keir Starmer as a 'trailblazer' on becoming 'mother of the House', in the next breath, the excellent constituency MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington for 38 years has been suspended for stating the obvious on the question of race. Like Jeremy Corbyn and John O'Donnell before her, she could well stand as an Independent candidate at the next general election, assured of a stonking majority. She deserves no better, for that rare thing, principles. Ian Petrie, Edinburgh Write to The Scotsman
Scotsman
21-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
SNP accused of 'stifling economic growth' after £9m annual retail rates surcharge revealed
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Commercial premises in Scotland have paid out almost £600 million more in business rates than counterparts south of the Border due to a surcharge, with the set up costing retailers around £9m extra each year. SNP ministers have been accused of 'stifling growth' after it emerged that commercial premises in Scotland liable for the 'higher property rate' have cumulatively paid an extra £580 million more in business rates than their equivalent-sized counterparts in England over the past ten years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Buchanan Street in Glasgow's city centre. Picture: John Linton/PA Wire Any business that uses, or has the right to use, a property with a rateable value of more than £100,000 will pay an extra 7p on top of the rate poundage, which is set by the Scottish Government each year. This means that those business will pay 56.8p in 2025-2026 for every £1 of rateable value - known as the higher property rate. Analysis of Scottish Government figures shows that the retail industry's share of the divergence from England amounts to £93m over the 10-year period, excluding the pandemic when businesses received 100 per cent business rates waiver - around £9m each year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Offices have paid out an extra £73m compared to English counterparts, while manufacturing sites have been charged £91.7m and hotels have faced £20.3m from the surcharge. There are 11,360 business premises in Scotland that are subject to the 'higher property rate', of which 2,380 are shops. Retail bosses have warned against the 'slab tax' which means the higher rate applies to each and every pound of a property's rateable value, rather than a progressive scale. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Divergence with England began in the spring of 2016, when the higher property rate, then called the large business supplement, was doubled. The Scottish Government-commissioned Barclay Rates Review in 2017, described the surcharge as 'damaging perceptions' of Scotland's competitiveness, which called for parity with England to be restored by Spring 2020, now five years ago. David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: 'It's a challenging enough time for Scotland's shops and retail destinations with retail sales and footfall at best flatlining while statutory costs shoot up. David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium 'Over and above this almost 2,500 Scottish stores are having to stump up more in business rates than their counterparts in England, to the tune of £9 million a year. This Scotland-only surcharge makes it even more expensive to operate a store on our high streets and to trade profitably. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're flummoxed as to why the Scottish Government thinks thousands of stores and other businesses operating here in Scotland are better placed to fork out more in business rates than similar sized premises down south. 'It's not in the interest of Scotland's economy for shop owners to be incentivised to invest in Berwick-upon-Tweed over Balloch, Bathgate or Brechin. We need a firm commitment from ministers to reduce business rates and ensure that Scots retailers are never again charged more than their counterparts down south.' First Minister John Swinney has claimed that under his leadership, the SNP and the Scottish Government has fostered a better relationship with the business community than his predecessors. First Minister John Swinney (Picture: Jane Barlow - Pool/Getty Images) Mr Swinney's four key priorities in government include growing the economy, while many business leaders were unimpressed with the SNP's co-operation agreement with the Scottish Greens who do not recognise economic growth or GDP as a measure of positivity - an arrangement Mr Swinney has not revisited, while he has actively opposed Green policies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In his first programme for government last year, the First Minister stressed that 'small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy', as he pledged to 'deliver the commitments set out in the New Deal for Business' - a strategy initially established in 2023. In January, the First Minister warned that he was 'left with the sense that Scotland's economy is not performing as well as it should'. READ MORE: Scottish high street suffers sales blow as households go holidaying and gigging He added: 'Scotland's unfulfilled economic performance – compared to both peers and pure potential – is not a recent development. It has been our national reality for decades.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But political opponents have criticised the SNP for the party of government's attitude to business and hit out at the divergence in business rates with traders south of the Border. Scottish Conservative shadow business secretary Murdo Fraser MSP said: 'It's frankly shameful that the SNP have made Scottish businesses fork out over £500 million more than their counterparts down South. Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser | Contributed 'The SNP are anti-business and anti-growth. They just don't get how hard local business owners are working to make ends meet. 'Only the Scottish Conservatives have a plan to support entrepreneurs by passing on 40 per cent business rates relief to Scottish retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish Labour's business spokesperson, Daniel Johnson, warned that policies brought forward by SNP ministers were acting as a barrier to economic growth. He said: 'This is yet another example of SNP economic incompetence hammering businesses and stifling growth. Daniel Johnson 'It is simply wrong that businesses are being penalised by this government. 'Scottish businesses are fed up with paying more and getting less in return.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The Scottish Government is working closely with businesses to drive economic growth and prosperity in our towns, cities and communities and provide support through a competitive non-domestic rates relief package worth an estimated £733 million this year. This includes the most generous small business rates relief in the UK. 'However, we are doing all of this without the full economic powers needed to fully address the issues facing Scotland's economy. We need decisive action from the UK Government, including a reversal of its damaging decision to increase employers' national insurance contributions which is severely hampering business confidence, investment, growth and jobs.' Meanwhile, a separate report has revealed profit alerts among UK retailers more than doubled in the second quarter as consumers reined in their spending and firms faced soaring wage costs. The latest report from EY-Parthenon also showed that overall profit warnings among UK-listed firms jumped by a fifth year-on-year in the second quarter – with a record proportion citing policy changes and geopolitical uncertainty as the leading factor. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The data showed that seven UK-listed retailers, including supermarkets, cut profit guidance between April and June. Britain's retail sector has come under significant pressure since last autumn's Budget move to hike National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and the minimum wage, both taking effect in April. But EY said the high street was also facing tough consumer spending challenges, with shoppers cutting back and focusing on value. EY partner Silvia Rindone said the spike in retail warnings 'highlights both softening consumer demand and the deeper structural headwinds facing the sector'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Retailers we speak to tell us that falling sales are currently indicative of a longer-term shift, with consumers becoming more value-focused and less brand-local, which leaves cost-pressured retailers in a bind,' she said. Tariff woes sparked by US President Donald Trump waging a trade war also featured heavily in the report, contributing to a rise in the number of alerts more widely across corporate plc. The report found that the number of profit warnings issued by UK-listed companies rose by 20 per cent to 59 in the second quarter compared with 49 a year ago.
STV News
18-07-2025
- Business
- STV News
Retail growth ‘fizzled out' last month, analysts find
Three months of growth in the Scottish retail sector 'fizzled out' in June, analysts have found. Total sales in Scotland decreased by 0.4% compared to June 2024, where they had also decreased by 3.4%, according to the Scottish Retail Sales Monitor. The Scottish Retail Consortium-KPMG analysis found the figure was well below the three-month average increase of 1.2%, and below the 12-month average rise of 0.1%. Adjusted for inflation, there was a year-on-year decrease of 0.8%. Food sales fell by 2.3% last month compared to the same time last year, when they had also decreased by 1.7%. Total non-food sales rose by 1.1% compared to June last year, when they decreased 4.8%. Adjusted for the effect of online sales, non-food sales rose by 2.1% in June. David Lonsdale, director of the SRC, said: 'Three consecutive months of growth in Scottish retail sales unfortunately fizzled out in June. 'Retail sales contracted by 0.4% during the month when compared with the same trading period the year before. 'This was perhaps less than surprising after the slump in shopper footfall in June, and with households continuing to prioritise experiences, such as holidays and concert-going rather than purchases of products.' Mr Lonsdale said the sale of gaming consoles and electric fans performed well amid new releases and sunny weather, while grocery sales declined and the sale of outdoor furniture and DIY equipment slowed, after a strong month in May. He added: 'Households are having to contend with a multitude of pressures which is seeing them spend selectively. 'Council tax and water bills have soared, inflation is increasing, and shop prices have started to rise. 'All this is putting a dampener on disposable spending. 'Hopefully this downturn in sales will prove temporary as retailers themselves grapple with a hotchpotch of cost pressures of their own, ranging from higher statutory costs for employing people to higher business rates and new levies on packaging.' Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer, retail and leisure at KPMG, said: 'Non-food purchases saw modest growth in Scotland in June as consumers took advantage of summer promotions to buy home appliances and homeware goods, while the weather aided clothing sales. 'But a fall in food and drink spending saw monthly Scottish retail sales slightly down overall. 'Retailers will be hoping that the summer buying is not yet complete and that the pace picks up further in July and August as suitcases get packed and the sun hopefully keeps shining.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
18-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Scottish high street suffers sales blow as households go holidaying and gigging
'Households are having to contend with a multitude of pressures which is seeing them spend selectively' – David Lonsdale, SRC Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Three months of growth on the Scottish high street fizzled out in June as households looked to prioritise holidays and concert-going, new figures today reveal. Industry leaders said Scots were having to contend with a 'multitude of pressures' which had led to them spending 'selectively'. They expressed hope that the downturn in retail sales would prove temporary, as retailers themselves grapple with a 'hotchpotch' of cost pressures of their own. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Releasing its latest sales monitor, the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said total sales in Scotland had fallen by 0.8 per cent in June, compared with the same month last year and once adjusted for the effects of inflation. With inflation stripped out the year-on-year decline was 0.4 per cent. June proved to be a bit of a dreary month for Scotland's retailers. A breakdown of the data showed that total food sales by value decreased by 2.3 per cent, compared with June 2024, while total non-food sales nudged up 1.1 per cent, year-on-year. SRC director David Lonsdale said: 'Three consecutive months of growth in Scottish retail sales unfortunately fizzled out in June. This was perhaps less than surprising after the slump in shopper footfall in June, and with households continuing to prioritise experiences, such as holidays and concert-going rather than purchases of products. 'That said, sales of gaming consoles and electric fans performed well thanks to new releases and the better weather. Meanwhile, grocery sales fell back and sales of outdoor furniture and DIY equipment slowed after a strong May. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Households are having to contend with a multitude of pressures which is seeing them spend selectively. Council tax and water bills have soared, inflation is increasing, and shop prices have started to rise. All this is putting a dampener on disposable spending.' Linda Ellett, UK head of consumer, retail and leisure at KPMG, which helps produce the monthly sales monitor, added: 'Retailers will be hoping that the summer buying is not yet complete and that the pace picks up further in July and August as suitcases get packed and the sun hopefully keeps shining.' The high street snapshot came after the latest Bank of Scotland UK sector tracker showed that just three out of 14 sectors monitored had witnessed output growth in June. More sectors raised their prices last month, according to the report, as every area of business continues to face cost pressures. Nikesh Sawjani, senior UK economist at Bank of Scotland, said: 'Our data shows that the growth indicated by the headline PMI [purchasing managers' index] figures is being driven by a handful of sectors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Although price rises have slowed, they remain widespread. However, businesses still aren't passing on the full extent of their own cost increases to customers as they work to continue being competitive in a challenging demand environment.'
