Last-minute shoppers hit the streets on Christmas Eve

Dozens of people queued outside Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street before it opened on Sunday to secure their final gifts.

Shoppers in Broadmead, Bristol, ahead of Christmas Day (Ben Birchall/PA) (PA Wire)

Shoppers hit the streets on Christmas Eve to pick up last-minute gifts as they immersed themselves in the festive spirit.

Dozens of people queued outside Selfridges on London’s Oxford Street before it opened on Sunday.

Fred and Angie Gay, from Essex, have been coming to the West End every December 24 for the past 20 years and were looking for a Christmas present for Mr Gay to buy for his wife.

They said they planned to look in Selfridges, Liberty’s and Fortnum & Mason, then treat themselves to lunch before heading to their son’s in Surrey on Monday to spend Christmas with their family.

Mrs Gay said: “We’re waiting for Selfridges to open just to have a little look, but my favourite store is Liberty’s.

“It’s just nice to be up here for Christmas time really, get into the festive spirit.”

The grandparents added they were going to “wing it” and had not booked lunch, adding there are fewer restaurants and pubs in the area to go to compared with 20 years ago.

Footfall across all UK retail destinations increased by 5% up to 12pm on Christmas Eve compared to the week before, data from industry analyst MRI Software shows.

The jump follows a high street footfall surge on Saturday, as Christmas celebrations and last-minute shopping continued through the weekend.

Sunday’s surge in footfall has been primarily driven by grocery shopping, which has seen consumers favour retail parks and shopping centres, where shoppers can make the most of large car parks and a variety of stores in one location, the analyst added.

Hanouf K, from Saudi Arabia, said she comes to London every Christmas and appreciated the city’s “vibes” during the festive season.

The 28-year-old said she was on the hunt for Apple AirPods and items from Longchamp for herself but also gift sets for friends because she had not yet started her Christmas shopping.

She added that London was her “favourite spot at Christmas”, saying: “I come here yearly, the Christmas lights, the Christmas vibes, the restaurants.”

Jack Kuan, 25, was meeting a friend in Selfridges, where they both work, to celebrate her birthday.

He said he was looking for inspiration in the store but had already bought his Christmas gifts.

Mr Kuan, from Taiwan, added: “London is very Christmassy for me, as someone who is not from here.”

Footfall at retail parks increased by 20.9% against last week and is up 16.8% at shopping centres, with shoppers out in force before stores close for Christmas.

But footfall on Christmas Eve is down from last year’s levels, with a decline of 30.3% across all UK retail destinations compared with last year.

The fall is largely due to Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday last year – making for a noticeably strong day of trading, MRI Software said.

This year, many stores and destinations are adopting normal Sunday trading hours, suggesting a more subdued Christmas Eve than is typically expected for traders.