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Drab December: "One of our quietest Christmas Eves on record"

ended 03. January 2025

New data from the British Retail Consortium shows that total UK footfall was down 2.2% (YOY) in December. Independent retailers have shared their experiences of how Christmas Eve, Boxing Day and the days between Christmas and the New year were for them. One said Christmas Eve was one of his quietest on record and “Friday 27th December was even quieter, taking just £25.” Views below.

5 responses from the Newspage community

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Richard O'Connor
Director at First Mats
Overall, we've had a strong year, continuing the double-digit growth we've seen in previous years. However, in the last quarter, we've noticed a slight slowdown, and many of our customers, especially those working in retail and hospitality, are telling us they're cutting costs or delaying purchases while waiting to see how the economy unfolds.

For industries like retail and hospitality, December is often the 'make or break' month, so reports of a slow end to 2024 are likely to leave many feeling uncertain about 2025. The government needs to act urgently to get the economy growing and avoid the risk of a painful recession.
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Beth Hillier
Owner at Aloft
Our sales over Christmas were very different compared to previous years. Less people are spending money, and purchases seem more considered and less frivolous. There’s plenty of people around browsing, but we have definitely seen a decline in sales. There's not much confidence out there right now.
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Riz Malik
Independent Financial Adviser at R3 Wealth
The great British public is worried about the year ahead, and they have every right to be. Purse strings will be tightened as the economic outlook looks bleak. You can judge the state of the economy by what is happening on the high street, and unfortunately for many retailers, the outlook is bleak. Unless the government does something to stimulate economic growth, they are in trouble.
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Justin Brandon
Director at Scape Interiors West
Although we closed our doors on Boxing Day, we remained open on Christmas Eve and Friday, and the results were extraordinary. Those two days saw record-breaking 80 percent increase in sales, a success we attribute to the incredible support of our local community, who consistently champion small, independent businesses. What makes this achievement even more special is the role of our team in making it happen. In particular, I’m incredibly proud of my shop manager. He joined us straight after finishing his A-Levels, and over the past three years, he’s transformed into a great leader. Watching his growth has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey.
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Barry Whitehouse
Owner / Tutor at The Artery
We saw a much quieter Christmas period than usual. Often November is a very busy month but this year it was just like any month over summer. That did mean we thought people were just Christmas shopping later, and that December would pull it out of the bag. That didn’t happen either so all our hopes fell on Christmas Eve. This turned out to be one of our quietest Christmas Eves on record. Friday 27th December was even quieter, taking just £25. We are a very small niche shop so don’t have huge sales figures, but even in comparison to our previous 13 years in business, this Christmas has been one of the quietest we’ve known.