Christmas shoppers take to stores

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With only a few shopping days left until Christmas, it was a make or break weekend for traders after many had reported worryingly reduced sales due to the credit crunch.

The expectation that savvy shoppers were delaying making purchases until the last moment in the hope of further price reductions and early sales bargains appeared to have been well-founded.

With stores slashing prices by up to 70%, out-of-town shopping centres around the country reported queues forming before 9am.

Meanwhile, half a million people are thought to have visited London's West End, with stores staying open longer in a bid to boost sales.

Not only did traders see increased spending from UK shoppers but they also benefited from visitors from the Eurozone taking advantage of the weakened pound.

Andrew Parkinson, general manager at Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, said the first queues started to form at 9am. "Our 13,000 free car parking spaces were nearly full by 1pm," he said. "We predict strong, customer-focussed retailers will continue to trade firmly throughout the festive season."

A spokesman for Capital Shopping Centres, which has interests in 14 regional shopping centres, including the MetroCentre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Lakeside in Essex, said: "Shoppers have held out for the bargains this year. With just five shopping days left to go, we are seeing an influx of guests to our centres. Must-have items have been selling strongly. Nintendo Wiis, mobile phones, laptops and DVD sales top the list."

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said shoppers had put off spending until later than usual this year.

Its director general Stephen Robertson said: "While conditions remain tough, retailers have reacted with high-profile price cuts and promotions. This, together with the recent reductions in VAT and interest rates, has meant in the last few days shoppers have come out in force."