Retailers pack them in as shoppers flock to city centre

Sales in Edinburgh’s city centre are rising at a faster rate than the Scottish average, according to a sample of figures collected by Essential Edinburgh.

New data shows that sales increased by 5.5 per cent in Edinburgh’s stores in June, compared with the Scottish figure which remained the same as 2010 and UK sales which rose by 1.5 per cent.

Andy Neal, chief executive at Essential Edinburgh, said: “Even though these figures show Edinburgh’s retail performing better than the rest of the country, this does not mean we’re not affected by the current economic climate.

“Footfall figures for the city centre show an increase in pedestrians of 9.7 per cent for June 2011 compared with 2010, but retailers in the city centre are still observing a general reluctance to spend.”