PA NEW research has shown a drop in the number of stores in Scotland of 652 last year. Accountants PwC said pre-pandemic trends continued in 2020 with closures outnumbering openings, while consumers switched to retail parks from the high street. More than 1,200 chain stores closed in Scotland last year, with 612 openings, continuing a path that has developed across high streets in recent years, leading to 14 per cent fewer stores compared to 2016 as shoppers migrate to online shopping. The 1,264 closures – which do not include stores temporarily closed because of lockdown restrictions – is in line with the 1,288 closures in 2019, according to the latest PwC research compiled by the Local Data Company.