Shoppers 'Back Living Wage Stores'

Over two-thirds of UK consumers would consciously shop at a store that pays the living wage, a survey has found.

People in Scotland are the most conscious of the living wage - currently £7.85 per hour - and Scotland also has the highest proportion of living wage earners, the KPMG survey suggests.

At a national level, the survey found seven out of 10 UK adults would consciously shop in favour of a living wage accredited retail chain - a rise of more than 10% in less than 12 months.

Jenny Stewart, head of infrastructure and government at KPMG in Scotland, said: It's clear from the research that ensuring the lowest paid in society are treated fairly should be near the top of the agenda for Government and for employers alike.

With all the main political parties citing action on living wage in their manifestos, we have moved a long way since the 2010 election and the pace of change is accelerating.

With nearly a quarter of the FTSE 100 now accredited more and more employers are reaping the benefit of joining this movement. The next big challenge will be to educate employees, customers, suppliers and clients about the range of enterprises who are accredited so they too can exercise informed choice.''

Carla McCormack, policy and parliamentary officer at the Poverty Alliance, said: The fact that so many people in Scotland are aware of the living wage is testament to the hard work of the Scottish Living Wage Campaign, the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative and grassroots campaigns across the country.

With almost two thirds of children in poverty living in a household where someone works, payment of the living wage is becoming a more important issue than ever before. Over 400,000 people in Scotland are trapped in low pay, and through the Campaign and Accreditation Initiative we are seeking to ensure that everyone gets a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.

Traditionally work has been seen as a route out of poverty, but low wages mean that for many this is no longer the case.

While there is much to celebrate in today's report, the fact that 19% of Scotland's work force still earn below the living wage means there is still a considerable way to go.''

RedDot research conducted a consumer poll of 4,500 adults and 500 16-17 year olds across the UK in March, with around 380 in Scotland.