Shops ‘quiet’ leading up to Christmas

Fears of an economic slowdown triggered by the Northern Rock crisis has meant that shops across the UK reported fewer customers than expected.

Increasing internet sales and a dent in confidence has affected retailers. Sales on Britain’s busiest High Street, Oxford Street in London, were much slower than last year.

Even Selfridges, the department store, reported slower than usual sales. Brent Cross shopping centre in North London said the day had started slowly but improved slightly by lunchtime.

Bluewater in Kent, Europe’s largest shopping centre, was also reported to be quiet.

Official figures from the Office for National Statistics published last week said retail sales in November were up 4.4% on 2006. But the gains were primarily due to increasing shopping on the internet.

A spokesperson for the British Retail Consortium said it’s clear customers’ finances are under severe pressure.

Research from the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG), the industry body, said 3.6 million Brits will be shopping online on Christmas day as Argos, Comet, Dixons, Halfords, Marks & Spencer and Halfords launch web sales at 0001 GMT on 25 December.

A spokesperson for the IMRG said that online sales on Christmas Day would total £52 million – an increase of 66% on 2006.

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