Sales starting to take off, reports FootFall
Post-Christmas offers drawing in UK shoppers
Year-on-year UK shopper traffic is up 2.1 per cent over the three days from Sunday December 26 to Tuesday December 28, compared to December 26 to 28 2003, according to shopper traffic analyst FootFall.
Sheelah Turner, marketing information analyst at FootFall, said “The year-on-year increase for these first three days of sales in comparison to 2003 is encouraging, indicating that shoppers still have the intention to spend. “We know, however, from the pre-Christmas trading that shoppers are savvy bargain hunters.
“Initial evidence seemed to point to shoppers preferring to spend time with friends and family over the Christmas period. And yet, the sales appear to have provided the necessary enticement, and shoppers have returned to the stores.
“With Boxing Day falling on a Sunday this year, many stores opted to start their sales with a long trading day on December 27. This gave a slower, staggered start to the sales, but has still allowed shoppers at least two full bank holidays to bargain hunt – which is being reflected in our FootFall UK National Index figures.
“Although the pre-Christmas trading frenzy has quietened slightly, shopper volumes are still up on last year – consumer confidence and Christmas festivity rolling over into the early sales.”
