Retailers to get £1.65bn last-minute Christmas boost on Super Saturday

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Dec 18, 2018

British shoppers are expected to spend a total of £1.65bn this Saturday ahead of Christmas, giving retailers hope after a tough November.

Britons will spend £1.38bn in store in last-minute gifts and festive food and drink, while a further £268m is expected to be spent online with the hope that orders will arrive before Christmas, according to research by VoucherCodes and the Centre for Retail Research.

Some 10.1 million shoppers will visit the high street on Super Saturday, giving retail chains and stores a much needed boost after weak footfall numbers last weekend due to Storm Deidre.

Meanwhile, online sales are estimated to peak on Friday, with 7.2 million shoppers spending £321 million on last-minute Christmas gifts.

This is good news for UK retailers, who have struggled with weakening consumer demand, falling footfall and growing cost pressures throughout 2018.

This week, menswear retailer Blue Inc joined the list of collapsed retailers after failing to find a buyer to save the business. House of Fraser, New Look, Marks & Spencer and Debenhams have all announced plans to close stores and cut costs to survive the crisis, while Primark, Sports Direct and Superdry have seen their revenues hit by a challenging November.

Jimmy New, director of marketing at VoucherCodes, said: "Super Saturday will be a big shopping day for both retailers and consumers alike as millions flock to stores looking to snap up last-minute gifts and other essentials before Christmas Day.

"It'll certainly be one of the busiest shopping days on the high street so, if you do brave the shops, expect crowds."