High Street holds steady over Christmas despite weather
Published: 10 January, 2011
The coldest December in 100 years may have grounded Britain’s transport to a halt but shoppers were still out in force on the high street, according to the BDO High Street Sales Tracker.
Despite many consumers being forced to stay at home by the icy conditions, year-on-year sales growth held firm, dropping by just 0.5 per cent in December (five weeks to 2 January 2011).
Fashion sales growth in the same period dipped by just 1 per cent, with retailers stocking stout boots and warm coats in particular benefiting from the cold snap.
Homeware sales dropped slightly further, registering a 1.8 per cent drop for the entire month, but this was a strong recovery from a staggering -13.9 per cent dip in the first week of December.
Non-fashion sales actually grew by 0.9 per cent year-on-year thanks to a last minute rush and early promotions.
Total sales for the month were buoyed by frenetic trade during the traditional New Year rush. Takings in the week after Christmas rose 8.3 per cent on the same week in December 2009 as shoppers rushed to beat the 4 January VAT rise.
Even warnings of orders piling up in snowbound warehouses didn’t deter consumers from shopping online. Non-store sales were up 45 per cent in December year-on-year.
BDO national head of retail and wholesale Don Williams said: “Snow is a convenient distraction for retailers with deeper underlying problems. While these figures are disappointing, put in context of the poor weather, a dip of less than 1 per cent is not nearly as bad as it could have been. Retailers like John Lewis reported healthy sales growth despite the weather. Despite being snowed in for two weeks, UK consumers showed they will still buy from retailers offering good products and a good service.”
