Scottish retail sales ahead of UK

Retail sales in Scotland grew at a faster pace in the first quarter than in the UK as a whole, official figures have shown.

The value of retail sales grew by 0.4% in Scotland in the first quarter of 2010 compared to a 0.2% rise in the UK.

Over the year sales increased by 3.1% in Scotland and 2.6% across the UK.

The Retail Sales Index take into account some extra spending over Easter but shops were also hit by the severe wintry weather earlier in the year.

The volume of sales in Scotland fell by 0.5% in the first quarter, slightly ahead of a drop in the UK of 0.6%.

Around 700 businesses across the Scottish retail sector were surveyed.