Christmas shopping spree - at last

There had been fears that hard-up shoppers were planning a frugal Christmas, and for many retailers this was a make or break weekend.

But with just days to go, all anxiety about a credit squeeze was forgotten, as thousands began pounding the pavements.

Saturday was deemed the busiest day of the year, with sales exceeding expectations for many retailers.

Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent said it had been packed, with Boots recording their busiest weekend of all time at the centre.

A spokeswoman said: "We are pleased with the number of guests visiting Bluewater. Car parks have been full throughout the day. Compared to last year, our footfall figures are up and these have exceeded our expectations."

Brent Cross in London said it expected to have had 200,000 shoppers over the "three-day weekend" at the end of Christmas Eve. A spokeswoman said footfall at the centre was outperforming national indicators, with some stores operating a 'one in, one out' policy to manage the numbers of customers.

Tom Nathan, the centre's general manager, said: "With Christmas Eve falling on a Monday, shoppers are taking full advantage of the weekend to finish buying all their presents. We expect that the Christmas Eve afternoon rush will be driven mainly by food shoppers and younger men, who typically are the ones most likely to leave their Christmas shopping to the last minute.

British Retail Consortium director Kevin Hawkins said there would be sharp differences between retail's winners and losers this year.

He said: "Those that got it right on price and availability should have done well. Department stores and those in shopping centres have also benefited as cold weather has made some high streets less attractive. But others, especially those without a distinctive offer or who are less able to afford discounts, have struggled."