Figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium showed a fall in footfall to Sctoland’s shopping areas last month, fuelling suspicions that January’s sales figures will also show a decline.

Footfall dropped 1.8% in January, a slight improvement on the 1.9% drop in December but failing to meet the increases seen south of the border.

SRC director David Lonsdale said: “We won’t know for certain until the January sales figures are published if the decline in visits leads directly to an impact on sales; however it isn’t encouraging news for retailers in Scotland.”

Across the UK as a whole, footfall in January was 1.6% higher than a year ago, the best performance since December 2011.

However, separate studies indicated good news for the jobs market, with increases in the creation of both permanent and temporary positions across Scotland.

The Bank of Scotland’s chief economist Donald MacRae, said: “January showed a further marked improvement in Scotland’s labour market returning the barometer to pre-crisis levels of 2007. The recovery in the Scottish economy is not only continuing but is strengthening as we enter 2014.”