Late surge helps save Christmas
25 December 2008
UNITED KINGDOM — The latest data from Synovate Retail Performance show that the late rush for Christmas shopping really did happen this year. The number of non-food shopping trips made on Christmas Eve in the UK was 0.3% higher than in 2007, and 9.4% higher than the previous week (Wednesday 17th December). The final six days before Christmas saw retail footfall 2.2% up on 2007.
Synovate retail psychologist, Dr Tim Denison commented, "Every year there is talk of a late rush, but this year, it certainly happened. The climax began on Friday the 19th, when shoppers perhaps realised that this was not going to be the 'give-away' Christmas that they had hoped for and began shopping in earnest, thinking that they couldn't risk putting off their present shopping any later. For us to see year-on-year growth of 2.2% over the final six days before Christmas is truly remarkable, given the general state of underlying demand. To measure almost 10% more shoppers out on Christmas Eve than the previous Wednesday is also unusual. In recent years many shops have shut their doors early on the 24th as trade became slack after lunch; not so this year. It seems shoppers were busy right up to the last minute and shopkeepers were happy to keep their doors open and serve them."
Yesterday brings to an end a series of days that have seen strong growth. Friday the 19th saw 18.6% more shoppers out and about than the previous week (12th); on Saturday the comparison was +14.4% (against 13th) and on Sunday +8.1% (versus 14th) The strongest week-on-week growth came on Monday and Tuesday, when retail footfall was up by +35.2% and +40.9% respectively over the previous week (15th and 16th).
Denison continued, "Retailers generally have managed to contain the level of discounting in the run-up to Christmas, something that many thought would not be possible this year. Where demand has been strong for specific product lines, they have held their heads and their prices. Nevertheless, consumers have been more austere this year, cutting back on the fanciful and concentrating on the fundamentals. Value and necessity rather than volume and excess have been their guiding light. Retailers have played their part in this regard. It has struck me how stores have stuck to selling what they are known for and what they know will sell, rather than cluttering the aisles and the queue barriers with impulse trivia.
"Overall, retailers will be far more satisfied with how the campaign has ended rather than how it began. The trend over the last few days also suggests that shoppers will be out there in force when the Sales begin. Despite everything, when the British feel there are bargains to be had, they are seemingly irrepressible. Whether they have held a bit back over the past few months to pick up some special deals in the post-Christmas Sales is an unknown today, but will be more of a known by tomorrow, with some retailers starting their on-line Sales last night."
Contact(s) for this press release
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Chris Scoot
Synovate Retail Performance |
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34 Walker Avenue |
Telephone: +44 1908 682 700 |
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Theo Chalmers
Managing Director, Verve Public Relations |
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Park House, 8 Grove Ash |
Tel. +44 1908 275 271 |
Synovate Retail Performance provides footfall monitoring solutions, shopper tracking systems and in-store behavioural research to retailers worldwide. Its core products - Shopper Count, Shopper Interact and Shopper Engage - scientifically measure all aspects of a shopper experience from store entry to exit. It supplies national and international retailers with essential business metrics to drive accountability and performance improvement.
Synovate Retail Performance is home to the Retail Traffic Index series, which for over 10 years has been the industry's leading tracker of national, regional and sector retail footfall trends. It is also co-founder of the KPMG / Synovate Retail Think Tank, offering thought leadership on the state of retail health and the future of retailing.
General information for Synovate Retail Performance, email info.rp@synovate.com
Synovate Retail Performance Limited is registered in England and Wales under number 3552625 with its registered address at Minerva House, 5 Montague Close, London, SE1 9AY, UK. Synovate Retail Performance is a wholly owned subsidiary of Synovate.
About Synovate
Synovate generates insights to help clients drive competitive brand, product and customer experience strategies. Now part of Ipsos, with offices in over 80 countries, our approach combines best in class global research capabilities with personalised service, local knowledge and the flexibility to create teams and processes that meet clients' specific requirements. At Synovate, our clients sit at the top of our organisational chart, driving us to continually develop more innovative research solutions that predict actual business outcomes.
For more information on Synovate visit www.synovate.com.