Britain’s struggling High Street is set for a ‘Super Saturday’ with last-minute Christmas shoppers set to spend an incredible £3BILLION over the weekend and stores open for 18 hours straight to cash in
- Almost 15 million Brits set to hit the shops to buy last-minute Christmas presents
- The windfall will come as a shot in the arm to beleaguered high street retailers
- 4.8million Brits will make purchases online, spending an estimated £268million
An estimated 15 million Brits are expected to head to the high street this weekend to buy last minute Christmas presents.
The expected £3billion windfall over the weekend will come as a shot in the arm to beleaguered retailers hoping for a much-needed end of year sales boost.
High streets across the country will be rammed with shoppers as 10.1million people are expected to splurge £1.38billion on gifts on the last Saturday before Christmas.
Shoppers throng Regent Street in London as the capital counts down the shopping days left until Christmas
Christmas shoppers fill Carnaby Street in London today, snapping up last minute presents
Thousands of shoppers in Birmingham city centre walk past the German Christmas market
Meanwhile, 4.8million Brits will make purchases online, spending £268million on everything from presents to festive food and drink, according to study conducted by the Centre for Retail Research.
Research suggests that the majority of last-minute presents will be bought for mothers, with chocolates, perfume and clothes topping the eleventh-hour gift list.
The mad trolley dash will see Britons spend £2.38million per minute in a much-needed boost for retailers, which have suffered from low sales for much of 2018.
Some stores will stay open for 18 hours to welcome shoppers inside today while Westfield London and Westfield Stratford are among many centres staying open until 11pm.
Bluewater in Kent is expected to see 100,000 shoppers on Saturday with some 90,000 expected at Lakeside in Essex.
St David’s in Cardiff could see 230,000 shoppers, with 200,000 at Birmingham’s Bullring Centre, 160,000 at Manchester’s Trafford Centre and 80,000 going to Bristol’s Cabot Circus.
Asos has cut prices by 70 per cent, with 60 per cent off at Gap and Topshop and 50 per cent off at Oasis, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge, according to MoneySavingExpert.com.
London’s Regent Street was packed with shoppers this afternoon
As the last few days count down to Christmas Oxford Street in London is packed with shoppers
Millions are set to head to the high street to snap up last minute presents. Pictured, Regent Street
Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle said: ‘Footfall peaks on the Friday before Christmas – not the Saturday – when Christmas falls in the first half of the subsequent week.
‘Many consumers use the weekend as part of the Christmas break, for travelling and for visiting family and friends.’
Jimmy New, director of marketing at VoucherCodes, added: ‘Super Saturday will be a big shopping day for both retailers and consumers alike as millions flock to stores looking to snap up last-minute gifts and other essentials before Christmas Day.
‘It’ll certainly be one of the busiest shopping days on the high street so, if you do brave the shops, expect crowds.’