Delight at last-minute shopping surge

Jan 1 2008 by Rin Simpson, Western Mail

AFTER a sluggish build-up, Christmas 2007 proved a more successful one than the previous year, according to figures released yesterday.

Three core days – Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and December 27 – attracted a frenzy of shopping activity which boosted footfall levels above those seen in 2006, said Experian company FootFall.

Figures from the Retail FootFall Index (RFI) showed an overall rise in visitors to retail destinations of 2.3% last week compared to the same week in 2006.

Martin Davies, from Experian said, “The last-minute dash to the High Street on Christmas Eve, coupled with an unprecedented turnout on Boxing Day and further activity on the 27th, eased the nervousness of retailers last week and showed that the lure of sales and discounting still works to draw consumers to the shops.

“These three significant days boosted the overall footfall for the week above the levels seen last year.”