News
Retail data rebuts Christmas gloom
Helen Jacobs Dec 19 2007, 11:13am
Sales are on the up in the Christmas trading period's third week, according to full week Retail Traffic Index (RTI) figures.
More shoppers have been out and about for five of the seven days compared to last year, according to analyst SPSL.
The number of consumers entering stores across the UK for the week commencing December 9th was more than 9 per cent higher than the previous week and 1.3 per cent higher than the same time in 2006.
Dr Tim Denison, retail psychologist for SPSL said despite the improvement, the official forecast of shopper numbers for December being down by two per cent year-on-year still remains.
“Shopper numbers are stronger than we were expecting to see at this stage of the campaign, which makes us cautiously optimistic about the full month’s outcome.
“What is clear, however, is that the credit crunch has not yet denuded the high street of shoppers. People just seem set on having the sort of Christmas to which they have grown accustomed. Yes, it is all too easy to generalise, and, yes, there will be sectors that struggle more than others, but this is not the wipe-out that some had feared and others are voicing,” Denison said.
