Brits to splash out £2.7bn across Britain as virtual sales kick off
Retailers are expected to enjoy a bumper Boxing Day as Brits head to online and physical sales.
New data from Barclaycard suggests Brits could spend as much as £2.7bn across the January sales.
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But data from the West End’s leading retailers paints a more worrying picture of the year as a whole.
The New West End Company has released estimates that reveal the shopping hotspot’s stores have missed out on 80 per cent of its usual year-on-year sales in the run-up to Christmas.
Oxford Street, Regent Street and the shopping streets of Mayfair have been unabke to enjoy the usual pre-Christmas rush, as well as the Boxing Day sales, after the capital was plunged first into Tier 3 and then Tier 4 restrictions.
Jace Tyrell, Chief Executive of the New West End Company, acknowledged the public health emergency but said it “is with a heavy heart that retailers once again are missing out on vital trading dates such as Boxing Day.”
“It is imperative that the Government continues and builds upon its current measures and financial support for viable West End businesses, who, through no fault of their own, have invested millions in being Covid-secure, only to be forced to close,” they continued.
“With a common-sense approach to policy, the West End, which is an economic powerhouse for a global Britain, can not only survive but thrive once again.”
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