crossorigin="anonymous"> Shops offer grotto and wine to counter the ‘drab’ December. – Subrang Safar: Your Journey Through Colors, Fashion, and Lifestyle

Shops offer grotto and wine to counter the ‘drab’ December.


Getty Images A woman in a black coat walks a brown dog with Christmas decorations in the window outside a bookstore.Getty Images

The number of people visiting shops has fallen for the second year in a row, according to a leading data monitor, after the year ended in a “weak December” for retail.

Footfall fell by 2.2% in 2024, which also fell in 2023, according to an analysis of data from British Retail Consortium (BRC) Sensormatic.

Experts said cost of living pressures, increased online shopping, low consumer confidence and inclement weather are to blame.

Tom Rowley, owner of Backstory Bookshop in south London, said he was trying to alleviate the laziness by offering shoppers a drink as part of their shopping “experience”.

“People come in, pick up a stack of books, but then once they’ve done their Christmas shopping, we can give them a big glass of wine,” he told the BBC.

“Sadly, you don’t get that through online shopping.”

Tom isn’t the only shop owner who has had to get creative to encourage customers.

Lena Freed, owner of Book Bugs and Dragon Tales in Norwich, told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Wake Up to Money that her bookshop had “Santa’s grotto, authors, and all sorts of other things to try and get people Tried to persuade.

However, despite its best efforts, it said that “gross spending is down this year” even though footfall was the same as last year.

“We’re really feeling it on the bottom line,” he added.

‘Dino Day’ to attract buyers

Jenny Fazackerly A medium close-up of Jenny Fazackerley, owner of Jenny Stitches in Barrow, standing in her shop, examining fabric, and holding a mug of tea.Jenny Fazkerley

For Jenny Fazackerley, owner of Jenny Stitches in Barrow, drawing shoppers in with events is something that happens all year round.

He and other local firms in the town’s business improvement district (BID) have raised money for events “every school holiday and every big event” to improve footfall.

The BID has hosted a soapbox derby, an autumn festival, and a “Dino Day”, where actors dress up as dinosaurs and roam the town to entertain children.

The town was also the final destination for a bike ride in honor of Harry Bicker and local Dave Myers, who died in February last year.

The event drew thousands of people to Barrow. And A ‘Dew Day’ bike ride is planned again for this year.

All of these events have resulted in good footfall in 2024, Janney said, but she describes it as an “ongoing challenge” for the region.

‘A disappointing year’

While some shops and towns have fared better than others, the national picture is less rosy.

The figures for the last three months of 2024, which is typically the time of year when shoppers spend the most, were down 2.5 percent from the same period last year.

Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said: “A weak December, which saw lower numbers of shoppers across all locations, capped a disappointing year for UK retail footfall.”

The BRC has urged the government to reduce business rates, the tax on commercial premises, to help retailers invest.

Retail experts pinned the decline on a combination of cost of living pressures, continued growth in online shopping, and low consumer confidence.

Next week, major retailers will reveal how they fared over Christmas, with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, and Next All reporting after Lidl published its results on Thursday..

“People are much more careful about their spending,” said Kathryn Shuttleworth, chief executive of Savvy Marketing.

He blamed a lack of consumer confidence in government for “talking the economy down”. He also criticized his tax decisions, e.g Increase in employer’s National Insurance contribution.

A Treasury spokesman told the BBC that “a thriving retail sector plays an important role in boosting the economy and the properties at the heart of our communities”, adding that it has proposed a 40 per cent relief in business rates next year. introduced and rates will be “permanently” reduced from 2026. .

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said things could improve for the retail sector next year if inflation and interest rates fall as the economy improves.

“You can create a more optimistic narrative for 2025,” he said.



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