UK NEWS

RETAIL JOY AS SHOPPERS SPLASH OUT

Retailers are pulling out all the stops to lure shoppers

Saturday December 22,2007

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Shoppers finally shrugged off fears of a credit squeeze and packed Britain's high street stores, eager to splash their cash on Christmas goodies.

Following a slow start to December, there had been concerns among retailers that hard-up shoppers were planning a frugal Christmas. But with just three days to go to the big day, it was clear people were finally taking the spending plunge and responding to early sales events and heavy discounts.

Retailers described it as a critical trading weekend that could make or break their Christmas profits. The decision of many leading chains to offer big discounts to tempt customers appeared to be paying off.

In London's West End, the streets were heaving with shoppers hunting for presents. Jace Tyrrell, spokesman for the New West End company which represents retailers on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, said the day had exceeded retailers' expectations.

"Its been very busy today. Everyone's saying it's been well and truly above expectations," he said. "Everyone seems to have left it to the last minute to buy their Christmas presents."

Internet sale site eBay said it's top seller in the past week had been the Nintendo Wii, with 36,641 sold, followed by the Xbox 360 with 11,054 sales. The Nintendo DS, iPods, and Ugg boots also made the top ten.

Tom Nathan, general manager at Brent Cross shopping centre said: "We always said this year would be a late Christmas for shopping and that's what seems to be happening.

"Because Christmas is on a Tuesday this year, we've got the extra Monday for trading. This will be the busiest Saturday of the year for us." Bluewater shopping centre in Kent also reported a busy day.

In the North-West, shopping centres' reported a mixed day, with mainly 'steady' trade. Few of the 10,000 car parking spaces were empty at the giant Trafford Centre, near Manchester, which has 230 shops.

But at The Mall Grosvenor, a 75-shop centre in Chester, trade was disappointing. A spokesman said, "It is definitely down, the number of visitors are down, it is very quiet. The run-up to Christmas has been OK, but it has been quiet for a Saturday before Christmas."

ANOTHER CON TRICK BY RETAILERS AND THE MEDIA

24.12.07, 5:17am

The media magnets take a BUNG from retailers by putting the word out that retailers are having a tough xmas,somehow the british public offer these greedy so and so,s their sympathy and their money.every year same headlines.Its like a protection racket

• Posted by: mackie • Report Comment

NOT AGAIN

23.12.07, 12:02pm

Get the back issues of every newspaper around this time of the year going back the last twenty years and what do we find.??

Exactly the same thing being said by the same whining, whinging retailers year on year.
Xmas collapse, high streets bereft of shoppers etc etc etc.This year it's the credit crunch last year it was something else, next year something entirely different. Always we get the saved at the last minute verbiage You do not have a God given right to have customers in your shops no matter what time of the year it is. All the price slashing (alleged) proves to me just how much you have been overcharging for your stock in the first place which allows you to do it and still make a hansome profit.

• Posted by: alcan • Report Comment

AND THEY THOUGHT OF TONING DOWN CHRISTMAS!

22.12.07, 12:39pm

What a joke!
Without Christmas our whole economy would collapse!

• Posted by: abuela • Report Comment

SHOPS BRACED FOR 'CRITICAL' WEEKEND

22.12.07, 11:17am

What a dreadful economy Brown has created in Britain. Relient on christmas shopping of things we no longer produce, so he can grab a bit more tax to fritter away on a bloated state. Bannana Republic springs to mind.

• Posted by: chris49 • Report Comment