15/08/2016 - The number of empty shops in Scotland's town
centres fell last month in contrast with the UK as a whole, according to a
survey.
Scotland's shop vacancy rate dropped by 0.9% in July to 7.5%
- the second lowest of any area.
The figures bucked the trend for the UK, which saw its rate
rise by 0.5% to 10.1%.
Scotland's vacancy level was 10.6% just a year ago,
according to the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC).
However, the picture was less positive last month in terms
of footfall north of the border.
The latest SRC/Springboard monitor found fewer people
visited Scottish shops for the second month in a row.
Footfall fell by 1.9%, following a 3.3% drop in June.
SRC director David Lonsdale said: "These results are
something of a mixed bag for Scotland's retail industry, with a welcome
reduction in the shop premises vacancy rate unfortunately coupled with shopper
footfall flagging once again.
"Indeed shopper footfall in stores dipped for a second
successive month and at a faster rate than the average over the past three
months, pointing to a continuing fragility in demand and the ongoing popularity
of online retailing.
"The second quarterly improvement in a row in the
vacancy rate is encouraging, though it remains to be seen whether this reflects
units being taken up on a temporary or more sustained basis."
Marketing director for retail analyst Springboard, Diane
Wehrle, said: "The April to June quarter can prove irregular, as typically
post-Christmas pop ups and temporary stores disappear from the high street.
"Across the UK it seems that the EU referendum and
political and economic uncertainty of the last quarter will have deterred some
retailers from taking on leases but Scotland appears to have been insulated
from this."
Source: BBC News
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