Shoppers flock to the high street
Retail sales figures in the UK have been seesawing for sometime although yesterday saw the biggest attack on the UK high street by consumers for some time. While the likes of Marks & Spencer and John Lewis remain closed on Christmas Day, all of the major retail outlets in the UK were open on Boxing Day hoping to grab the last of the festive spirit. However, despite the fact the UK is currently in recession it would appear that sales over the festive period may well compare favourably with the more economically friendly times of years gone by.
While the proof is in the pudding, i.e. retail trading figures due out in January, it looks as though the UK retail sector, especially the high street, may well have benefited from a massive late rush from consumers. However, whether this rush of shoppers to the high street will convert into hugely profitable sales for many retailers remains to be seen. Many shops have been forced to discount goods by up to 90% and there are obvious concerns about profit margins.
Prior to the last-minute rush, the performance of individual retailers did appear to vary widely so it will be interesting to see how each of the major retailers has performed over the festive period.
Share this..
Related stories
Can Gordon Brown continue until the next election?
Despite the fact that Gordon Brown would appear to have survived yet another attempted leadership coup it is believed that no mention of the issue was made at today's Cabinet meeting which was attended by big players in the UK government. Surely the issue of a potential leadership coup should have been top of the agenda as Gordon Brown and his allies look to stamp out this unruly behaviour from wi...
Read MoreDavid Cameron to get personal with attack on Labour leader
David Cameron will this week light the blue touch paper for the forthcoming UK election with a highly personal attack on Gordon Brown and his "secretive, power hoarding, controlling character". In what is sure to be one of the most personal attacks ever released by the Conservative party leader he will list a number of U-turns and "cynical attempts to save his own skin" which he believes will show...
Read MoreMore woes for UK travel industry
Last week's sudden demise of Flyglobespan has had an impact on the whole UK travel industry with news of further casualties over the last few days. UK travel outfit Allbury Travel Group, also trading as Libra Holidays, Argo Holidays and Jetlife has fallen by the wayside and there are fears this could be the first of many additional casualties over the festive period. So why has the sector suddenly...
Read MoreHow long before the UK economy is back on firm ground?
While officially the UK economy has pulled away from the recession caused by the credit crunch many people are concerned there is more bad news in the offing, with problems in Europe and in particular the money markets. So while the UK economy would appear to be moving forward in the short term the relative strength below the surface has been very much weakened by the ever challenging budget defic...
Read MoreUK inflation surges to 2.9%
In a surprise move it has been revealed that the UK inflation rate increased to 2.9% in December, a far cry from the 1.9% seen in November and expectations of 2.4% for December. This has sent shockwaves through the financial markets with a suggestion that UK base rates will almost certainly begin to increase in the latter part of 2010. A number of analysts had believed that UK base rates would rem...
Read More