Scotland’s retail sector can thrive in the year ahead, a leading industry figure insisted, as he raised concerns about the impact of tax rises north of the border and the new deposit return scheme for drinks cans and bottles.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), said decisions in the Scottish budget to freeze income tax thresholds and to increase charges for higher earners were “likely to take a bite out of consumer spending at a time when retail sales are set to remain sluggish”.
