Covering the 4 weeks from 4 - 31 October 2026
- Total sales in Scotland decreased by 0.8% compared with
October 2025, when they had increased by 1.9%. This was below the
3-month average decrease of 0.1% and below the 12-month average
increase of 1.7%. Adjusted for inflation, there was a
year-on-year decrease of 2.9%.
- Total Food sales in Scotland increased by 0.5% compared with
October 2025, when they had increased by 2.7%. This was below the
3-month average increase of 0.7% and above the 12-month average
increase of 0.3%.
- Total Non-Food sales in Scotland decreased by 1.8% compared
with October 2025, when they had increased by 1.3%. This was
below the 3-month average decrease of 0.7% and below the 12-month
average increase of 2.8%.
- Adjusted for the effect of online sales, Non-Food sales in
Scotland decreased by 1.2% compared with October 2025, when they
had increased by 1.2%. This was below the 3-month average
decrease of 0.5% and below the 12-month average increase of 3.2%.
David Lonsdale, Director, Scottish Retail Consortium,
said:
Repeated storms, weather alerts, travel disruption, and lingering
cost-of-living concerns dampened Scottish retail sales in
October. Retail's golden quarter began on a bleak note, with
sales falling in value and recording their weakest monthly
performance since April.
Discretionary spending bore the brunt as poor weather kept
shoppers away, and the prospect of Black Friday discounts
encouraged them to delay purchases. Big-ticket items such as
white goods, electricals, and furniture fared poorly. Clothing
and footwear bucked the trend as shoppers refreshed their winter
wardrobes, while affordable indulgences such as cosmetics and
fragrances as well as beauty advent calendars performed well.
We hope this downturn is temporary. With Christmas approaching,
retailers should be looking ahead with greater confidence.
Instead, consumer confidence remains fragile and the UK Budget
offered nothing to reduce the cost of running a retail business
in Scotland. As the Scottish Budget approaches, Ministers must
avoid adding to household pressures or retailers' cost burdens.
We need a Budget for shoppers that helps retailers keep prices
affordable, revitalises shopping destinations, and makes shopping
safer through greater funding for Police Scotland's retail crime
taskforce.
Linda Ellett, UK Head of Consumer, Retail & Leisure,
KPMG, said:
Retail sales failed to grow in Scotland in October. But with some
consumers delaying buying target items until Black Friday
promotions, Scotland's retailers will be hoping to capture that
deferred spending as the promotional season now gets into full
swing.
MONTHLY RETAIL SALES YEAR-ON-YEAR PERCENTAGE GROWTH
RANKING BY CATEGORY
MONTHLY RETAIL SALES YEAR-ON-YEAR PERCENTAGE
GROWTH
NON-FOOD MONTHLY RETAIL SALES YEAR-ON-YEAR PERCENTAGE
GROWTH, INCLUDING EFFECT OF ONLINE SALES
