Shops braced for last-minute rush

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

Brent Cross Shopping Centre in London said it expects to see 200,000 people through its doors between now and close on Christmas Eve, spending a predicted total of £16 million.

Discounts of up to 70% in some stores helped counteract a slow start to December and more than 500,000 people visited the shopping centre in the last week.

The centre predicts that last-minute shopping will be particularly noticeable for the next three days as shoppers hold out for bargains.

Norman Black, from Brent Cross Shopping Centre, said: "Last year Christmas fell on a Tuesday. This year we have a couple of extra shopping days with Christmas Day falling on a Thursday. As a result, shoppers are taking full advantage of this to complete their Christmas shopping.

"We expect that the Christmas Eve rush will be driven mainly by food shoppers in the morning, and later in the day by those who have been waiting for pay day on the 23rd."

Mr Black said in addition to price reductions that have already been introduced, more than 100 stores will start their sales on Boxing Day.

"The sales at Brent Cross will be huge this year," he said. "Pre-Christmas we saw discounts averaging 25% on selected lines, but after Christmas we expect shoppers to benefit from many products with discounts of up to 75%, as retailers look to shift stock in challenging conditions."