Retailers rolled out their best deals today, a week earlier than tradition dictates, hoping shoppers will flock to their stores to take advantage of deep discounts on popular items such as toys, jewelry and clothing.
The final Saturday before Christmas, known as “Super Saturday,” when frenzied last-minute shoppers hit the stores, falls on Christmas Eve this year, so many retailers are using the scheduling snafu to their advantage and are rolling out their best deals on week early.
“Next Saturday people will be traveling to go home with their families,” Dana Telsey, CEO at Telsey Advisory Group, a consumer-focused brokerage firm, told ABC News. “Also, next Saturday a lot of the good deals that you had — it’ll still be there but the quantities of merchandise may not be left.”
The National Retail Federation found in a Dec. 14 survey that the average shopper has only completed 46.5 percent of their shopping. Big box stores are hoping today is the day shoppers will finally cross everything off of their Christmas lists.
“Some of them are offering 20 percent, 30 percent or 40 percent for a limited time,” Telsey said. “We think it’s going to be the busiest shopping day of the year.”
J.C. Penney is offering 60 percent off toys, coats and luggage. Walmart has slashed its prices to the lowest of the season on popular items for children, such as toys and bicycles. At Sears shoppers will get free diamond earrings when they spend $199 or more on jewelry.
Jace Tyrell from the New West End Company, which represents shops on London's Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street, said trading was up more than 10% compared with last year.
More than 600,000 people visited Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street today, with the peak time between 3pm and 4pm, he said. It was anticipated that around one million people would visit over the weekend.
In Manchester, huge numbers of people flocked to the Trafford Centre on the outskirts of the city.
More than a million shoppers have gone there in the last nine days, representing a 3 per cent increase in footfall for the same period last year.
In Glasgow, shoppers braved the cooler temperatures to visit the Braehead Shopping Centre.
Peter Beagley, the general manager, said: 'Today has been the busiest Saturday of the year for Braehead and we fully expect this weekend - the last full shopping weekend before Christmas - to be busier than last year.
Our footfall is up on last year and I put this down to the improved retail and leisure offering we have for shoppers.'
It was a similar story at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, where general manager Paul Lancaster said: 'As expected Lakeside has had a brisk start to the weekend.'
It comes as high street stores slashed prices by up to 70 per cent in a bid to boost flagging sales.
Major retailers including Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Gap and French Connection all have half-price offers as they try to catch last minute bargain-hunters.
Richard Dodd, of the British Retail Consortium, told the Sunday Mirror: 'There will undoubtedly be retailers who get to New Year and, after weak sales and with high costs, find the sums don't add up and will close.
'This weekend is going to be critical. It is make or break for retailers.'
But while many thousands of shoppers picked up bags full of presents, police had to arrest six activists who entered Topshop's flagship store today in a protest against tax avoidance.
The final Saturday before Christmas, known as “Super Saturday,” when frenzied last-minute shoppers hit the stores, falls on Christmas Eve this year, so many retailers are using the scheduling snafu to their advantage and are rolling out their best deals on week early.
“Next Saturday people will be traveling to go home with their families,” Dana Telsey, CEO at Telsey Advisory Group, a consumer-focused brokerage firm, told ABC News. “Also, next Saturday a lot of the good deals that you had — it’ll still be there but the quantities of merchandise may not be left.”
The National Retail Federation found in a Dec. 14 survey that the average shopper has only completed 46.5 percent of their shopping. Big box stores are hoping today is the day shoppers will finally cross everything off of their Christmas lists.
“Some of them are offering 20 percent, 30 percent or 40 percent for a limited time,” Telsey said. “We think it’s going to be the busiest shopping day of the year.”
J.C. Penney is offering 60 percent off toys, coats and luggage. Walmart has slashed its prices to the lowest of the season on popular items for children, such as toys and bicycles. At Sears shoppers will get free diamond earrings when they spend $199 or more on jewelry.
Jace Tyrell from the New West End Company, which represents shops on London's Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street, said trading was up more than 10% compared with last year.
More than 600,000 people visited Oxford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street today, with the peak time between 3pm and 4pm, he said. It was anticipated that around one million people would visit over the weekend.
In Manchester, huge numbers of people flocked to the Trafford Centre on the outskirts of the city.
More than a million shoppers have gone there in the last nine days, representing a 3 per cent increase in footfall for the same period last year.
In Glasgow, shoppers braved the cooler temperatures to visit the Braehead Shopping Centre.
Peter Beagley, the general manager, said: 'Today has been the busiest Saturday of the year for Braehead and we fully expect this weekend - the last full shopping weekend before Christmas - to be busier than last year.
Our footfall is up on last year and I put this down to the improved retail and leisure offering we have for shoppers.'
It was a similar story at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex, where general manager Paul Lancaster said: 'As expected Lakeside has had a brisk start to the weekend.'
It comes as high street stores slashed prices by up to 70 per cent in a bid to boost flagging sales.
Major retailers including Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Gap and French Connection all have half-price offers as they try to catch last minute bargain-hunters.
Richard Dodd, of the British Retail Consortium, told the Sunday Mirror: 'There will undoubtedly be retailers who get to New Year and, after weak sales and with high costs, find the sums don't add up and will close.
'This weekend is going to be critical. It is make or break for retailers.'
But while many thousands of shoppers picked up bags full of presents, police had to arrest six activists who entered Topshop's flagship store today in a protest against tax avoidance.
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