The Retail Consortium said: 'Like every year, families want to make Christmas special.'

The recovery was welcomed by Richard Mays, spokesman for the Retail Consortium.

Shoppers pulled back on spending last month, according to the latest figures from the Scottish Retail Consortium.

The Carbon Trust and the British Retail Consortium are members of the steering group.

The British Retail Consortium admitted recently that food price inflation of 4.4 per cent is adding £230 to annual bills.

It was recently 'A' grade accredited by the British Retail Consortium.

The British Retail Consortium reports that shopper numbers were up last week "as consumers took advantage of promotions and discounts".

The British Retail Consortium argued that supermarkets are actually protecting customers from the full impact of global food inflation.

The Scottish Retail Consortium said total sales in October were down by 0.1% on the same month last year.

During this time, he was also the Chairman of the British Retail Consortium.