The data reveals a 1.0% increase year-on-year (YoY), performing 0.6 percentage points better than August and notably outstripping the UK average, which experienced a dip of 2.9% YoY.

Shopping centres in Scotland enjoyed a 3.7% rise in footfall for the month, an improvement from July’s figures. Edinburgh’s retail spots stood out with a significant 7.5% growth in footfall YoY. Conversely, Glasgow noted a 2.9% decrease, albeit it was a less sharp decline compared to the previous month.

David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Overall, this is an encouraging prelude ahead of the start of the golden quarter in the lead up to Christmas and which remains a critical trading period for large swathes of Scottish retail.

“Hopefully, the introduction of discounted peak rail fares in Scotland for the next few months coupled with the recent marked fall in shop price inflation should prove beneficial in terms of enticing more visits to stores.

“With the clock ticking down to the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement and the Finance Secretary’s Scottish Budget we would urge policy makers to pep up consumers spirits whilst remaining wary of adding any further pressures on to household finances over the coming months.”

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, commented: “Rather than the traditional ‘Back To School’ boost to shopper traffic we would normally expect to see in September, footfall remained subdued as consumer caution on discretionary spending stayed high, perhaps prompted by shoppers withholding spend to save ahead of the Golden Quarter and Christmas.

“While retailers will be hoping this month’s first fall in food prices in two years will mark the beginning of the end of inflationary-driven pressure on household budgets, many will recognise that the reality of inflationary-driven interest rates – and consequently higher mortgages and rent payments – will be with us ‘higher and for longer’, meaning once again retailers will be required to run faster just to stand still.”