Scottish shopper numbers continued to fall last month, prompting an industry leader to call for retailers and shopping destinations to work harder for business.
Footfall numbers in September were 0.8% lower than a year ago, although up on the 1.5% fall in August.
Scotland was below the UK average rate of -0.2%, although the September figure north of the Border was the best result since February.
The figures paint a depressing picture following the PwC report last week of a rise in the number of Scottish shops that closed in the first six months of the year.
Scottish Retail Consortium director David Lonsdale said: “Shopper footfall in Scotland wilted once again in September, albeit at a less pronounced rate than the month before and when contrasted to the average of the past three months.
“Footfall fared worse here than in any of the other three constituent parts of the UK last month, the first time this has happened since July 2013.”
He continued: “Retailers and shopping destinations are clearly going to have to work harder to attract custom, through a blend of improvements to areas including service, ranges, pricing and promotions.
With the clock ticking towards big announcements on the UK and devolved budgets, he said retailers will be looking for convincing action from the Chancellor and Scotland’s Finance Secretary to improve consumer confidence.
There was also a need to address the “relentless rise in Government-inspired cost pressures”.
“Rising costs divert and exhaust resources which otherwise would be used to grow the business,” he said.
Diane Wehrle, of co-authors Springboard, said: “Footfall in Retail Parks in Scotland clocked up a 7.6% year-on-year increase in September.
“That was the eighth month out of the past nine in which there has been a significantly larger rise in Scotland than across the UK as a whole.
“Convenience, no-cost parking and Click and Collect and strong weekend repeat customers are all helping. ”
Scotland’s 10.6% vacancy rate was a small rise, she said, but it raised the possibility of flexible leases for pop-up shops to attract lapsed shoppers.