Scotland experienced slightly better sales growth than the UK as a whole in the three months immediately after the Brexit vote.
In the period July to September, official figures show that the volume of sales rose by 2.1% in Scotland compared to 1.8% in Britain.
The value of sales – the amount of money spent – also increased by 2.1%, slightly above the 2% growth recorded in the UK.
Euan Murray, of Barclays Corporate Banking in Scotland, said the third quarter of 2016 had been “a broadly positive period in the retail space with food and non-food categories both feeling the benefits”.
He added: “Consumer confidence appeared to grow despite the result of the EU referendum, which it was feared would dampen spending. The supermarkets were the biggest winners over the quarter with sales volumes on the up.
“We will be watching the sector with interest as the inevitable post-Brexit price rises from retailers gradually trickle down to the consumer.”
The volume of retail sales in Scotland in the period July to September was 4.9% higher than the same three months of 2015, although the UK as a whole achieved growth of 5.4% over the year.
Scotland also lagged behind in growth in sales value over the year, with an annual increase of 3.2% compared to the 3.7% rises recorded across Britain.
