SWIFT SHOPS BOOST

Pop and footie fans bring rise in footfall to struggling malls

- SARAH WARD

TAYLOR Swift and the Tartan Army gave shops a surprise boost last month as football and pop fans flocked to stores.

Shopping centres in Scotland "outperformed the national average", the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) said.

Retail footfall in Scotland increased by 0.2 per cent year-on-year in June, up from a dismal -5.4 per cent in May. It was described as "significantly higher" than the UK average decrease of 2.3 per cent.

Footfall in Scottish shopping malls rose 1.2 per cent last month year-on-year, up three per cent on May.

The UK's general performance was "weak" between May 26 and June 29.