Retailers in Great Britain suffered a dire Christmas as cash-strapped consumers cut back on shopping in December, fuelling the biggest fall in monthly sales since shops were forced to close during the coronavirus pandemic in 2021.
Sales plummeted 3.2% month on month as retailers across the board suffered as the cost of living crisis resulted in consumers making tough decisions, including choosing between buying food or presents. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the sales slump, which followed a 1.4% rise in November fuelled by Black Friday promotions, hit all retail sectors.
It's as inevitable as Christmas itself.
“Food stores performed very poorly, with their steepest fall since May 2021 as early Christmas shopping led to slow December sales. “Department stores, clothing shops and household goods retailers reported sluggish sales too as consumers spent less on Christmas gifts, but had also purchased earlier during Black Friday promotions, to help spread the cost.”
I remember when after-Christmas sales were things to look forward to, but - possibly as a result of the creeping Americanisms - now it's the pre-Christmas sales that everyone looks forward to.
4 comments:
Maybe this will teach people that it's not necessary to re-mortgage the house to buy a boatload of tat for Christmas
One wonders if the pre-Christmas sales creep continue to creep backwards, as they undoubtedly will, they could eventually become Christmas sales again :)
Most of the adults in our family have everything that they need already and had been gradually getting more and more difficult to find something to buy for. So there has been a mutual agreement to only buy stuff for the kids. So we have presumably contributed to the drop in sales.
"Maybe this will teach people that it's not necessary to re-mortgage the house to buy a boatload of tat for Christmas"
Probably not, but I admire your optimism.
"...they could eventually become Christmas sales again :)"
Heh!
"Most of the adults in our family have everything that they need already and had been gradually getting more and more difficult to find something to buy for."
Oh, snap! I'm in that position too. So I make food gifts instead.
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