Report: Perth only Scottish city to open more stores than close them in 2015

Perth was the only Scottish city where shop openings outstripped closures in 2015, a study has revealed.

Nine more premises were opened in the city in the past year, with eight firms shutting units during the same period.

Places such as Edinburgh, Ayr and Dundee - among the top 500 shopping destinations in the UK - all experienced a negative outturn.

But across Scotland the pace of the downturn affecting the country’s high streets has slowed.

The review was carried out by accounting specialists PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Local Data Company which says new trends including shops with click and collect offering will be understood in the longer term.

But the study also points to growing consumer confidence.

It also says that there is a proliferation of new fast food, tobacconists or vapour units, while finance-based operators, ranging from cheque cashing to banks and bookmakers, all fell.

In Perth there has been some mirroring of that trend which has continued into 2016, including with the Vapour Lounge on the High Street. A number of new cafes and eateries have also emerged.

Martin Cowie, head of private businesses at PwC in Scotland, said: “Online shopping continues to play a major role in the changing shape of the high street. Indeed, we now see click and collect not only as an offering of the mainstream stores, but they have expanded their delivery network into local corner shops.

“The longer-term implications of this strategy are still to be revealed in terms of the impact it has on the smaller independent operators.”

The report also covered trends involving firms moving to shared sites, with Currys and PC World in Perth’s St Catherine’s retail park among them.