"Christmas hasn't been a boom time"
- BRC Director General Helen Dickinson
Britons were not so active in making shopping trips for post-holiday bargains on the day after Christmas, as more people were looking for the discounts online. According to research company Experian Footfall, visits to U.K. shops and malls gained just 0.6% on Dec. 26 compared to the same day a year ago. The gain met analysts' expectations, however, it does not reflect an increase on last year. This period is usually the busiest for Britain's retailers, so they are offering a lot of discounts. Moreover, many store owners began offering discounts online on Christmas Day this year. The number of visits to websites by Britons made on Dec. 25 soared to a record 107 million, 86% higher from a year ago.
"Christmas hasn't been a boom time," BRC Director General Helen Dickinson said in a statement. "Customers bought only similar amounts to last year. Sales were hard-fought and often driven by discounts, so cutting into margins, though retailers worked hard to ensure they had the right products available, whether in store or online, and at the right prices."
"Consumers typically start losing control when they are confronted with a highly unusual discount," said Dr. Ben Voyer, Assistant Professor of Marketing at ESCP Europe Business School.
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