Pre-Christmas weekend could be busiest of year after tough trading period
The British Retail Consortium says retailers are pinning their hopes on a ‘strong final flourish’ to consumers’ gift buying.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The country’s retailers are hoping to shake off several months of tough trading, with this weekend expected to be possibly the busiest period of 2023 so far.
As shoppers hit the stores on Saturday, a spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium said: “It’s been a rough few months for retailers, with shopper footfall and retail sales becalmed as the elevated cost of living and higher mortgages have taken a toll on consumer spending.
“However, our expectation is that this weekend will be particularly busy on Britain’s high streets, possibly the busiest trading weekend of the year, with a strong focus on shopping for last-minute gifts.
“Many households appear to have left their Christmas shopping until later this year, and stores are pinning their hopes on a strong final flourish to pre-Christmas trading as it’s when they earn the revenues which tide them over the leaner months of the new year.”
The trade association’s spokesperson added: “Despite the weak economic outlook, households will be keen to make Christmas special for friends and family.
“This weekend will be particularly important for food-related shopping, providing a last chance for households to pick up all the trimmings for their Christmas dinner.”
Figures from retail analysts MRI Software showed that last weekend – dubbed “Panic Weekend” – saw week-on-week retail footfall up by 6.5% across all destination types.
MRI, which is predicting a 16.9% week-on-week rise this weekend, is expected to release updated data on Sunday.