New data from the Ipsos Retail Traffic Index has shown that footfall in the run up to the 2012 Christmas period was similar to that of 2011.
Across the UK, shopper numbers in the week commencing 23rd December were up (28.3%) compared to November. In Scotland, shopper numbers were 7.1% higher compared with the same period in 2011.
In London and the South East, footfall was down 6.9% compared to 2011. However, London and the South East only saw a week-on-week drop of 10.2% in the week commencing 23rd December compared to the previous week (w/c 16th December), against a UK average of -12.8%.
Ipsos Retail Performance president Peter Luff said: “Retailing appears to be in a period of transition and our latest RTI statistics show that the more advanced retailers are adapting their pricing, promotional and marketing strategies over a longer period to attract customers into their stores. Pre-Christmas sales have now become more common and the traditional post-Christmas Sales are simply a continuation of this longer more managed trend.
“As has become the tradition, many consumers hold onto their money to take advantage of even greater discounts after Christmas, especially for seasonal stock that retailers really need to sell, but on the whole it appears that most shoppers now see retailers offering discounted goods throughout the entire festive period.
“It really has become a game of cat and mouse between shoppers and retailers, especially as retailers are competing with each other in challenging economic times. Knowing the customer – how they think, behave and are likely to shop – has becoming an even more critical element of the ‘operational differential’ for retailers as we progress into 2013.”
Source: Ipsos Retail Performance Limited
