Bush visit hits London sales
Rugby leave retailers reeling from double blow
November 25 2003
There was more anguish in store for UK retailers over the past week as two major events and the weather pattern conspired against sales.
President Bush’s state visit to caused major disruptions in Central London, with shoppers staying away from the West End.
Retail traffic specialist SPSL reports that In the week of November 16, retail traffic in the London congestion zone was down 2.3per cent on the same week last year, compared to 1.5 per cent fall cross the UK as a whole.
This follows disappointing traffic figures across the UK in the first two trading weeks in November, which have prompted SPSL to downgrade its Retail Traffic Index forecast to minus 1.7 per cent for November
The more general fall in retail traffic last week can be attributed to the Rugby World Cup. Consumers were clearly reluctant to switch from a mood of euphoria at England’s win to the realities of shopping in the rain. SPSL calculates retail traffic on Saturday was 9.5 per cent lower than the same day last year.
Dr Tim Denison, director of knowledge management at SPSL said: “Retailers may only have been half-heartedly celebrating England’s monumental success at the Telstra stadium on Saturday.
“The slow start to their Christmas campaigns has not been helped by George Bush’s state visit, the nation indulging in rugby revelries and the endless grey drizzle of the weekend.”
