Retailers predict biggest shopping weekend of the year
Shops braced for storming seasonal sales on 27th and 28th November
This weekend is set to be the biggest shopping weekend of the year with over two million shoppers expected in London’s West End. Shoppers are expected to hit the high-street as their Christmas pay-packets will have just cleared and retailers will be kick-starting festive promotions. From 10am -6pm on 27 November 2010 Oxford Street and Regent Street will be completely traffic-free and this, the sixth annual Shop West End VIP Day Brought To You By American Express, will be giving back to its first ever exclusive charity partner Starlight Children’s Foundation.
The biggest shopping day of the year – London’s West End:
• 2 million shoppers expected over the weekend
• Predicted sales of £250 million over the two days
• Nearly 100 retailers laying on special offers
• Over 50 retail events on Oxford Street and Regent Street
• Many flagship stores opening early
• Over 150 entertainers and Starlight fundraisers lining the streets
• Retailers raise money to help fund Starlight’s Christmas parties and pantomimes for sick children in hospitals and hospices across the UK
West End retailers are not only expecting tills to be ringing, but collecting tins to be rattling as they come together to raise money for Shop West End’s first ever charity partner, Starlight Children’s Foundation. Shoppers will be invited to help retailers on their mission to fund parties and pantomimes in hospitals and hospices to brighten the lives of sick children across the UK this Christmas.
There will also be festive fundraising all over London’s West End with pop bands, choirs and entertainers encouraging shoppers to add a Starlight wish for a sick child to their Christmas shopping list. American Express Cardmembers can also help raise money for Starlight. American Express will give double rewards to Cardmembers and £1 to Starlight every time an American Express Card is used over the weekend.1
Hundreds of West End retailers have developed offers specifically for the world’s biggest shopping day and some are offering up to 50% off. Many shops will open at 8am including Top Shop’s flagship store on Oxford Street. Early bird shoppers will also be given exclusive discounts and offers including free coffee from Starbucks. With retailers pulling out all the stops to impress seasonal spenders, London’s West End is expecting over £250m worth of sales in one weekend alone, which will help Starlight bring fun, laughter and distraction to sick children across the country this Christmas.
Richard Dickinson, CEO of New West End Company comments, “We have seen increased footfall in the West End this October with 7.7% more visitors than this time last year. We expect this trend to continue until Christmas, but with traffic free shopping straight after pay day we anticipate record sales on the weekend of 27 and 28 November.”
