200,000 Christmas shoppers in Oxford Street by 10.30am: Packed high streets defy the downturn

Shoppers today shrugged off worries about the recession as they shelled out tens of millions of pounds in a Christmas spending blitz. Millions pounded pavements across the UK with some shoppers even queueing for stores to open their doors this morning in the hope of snaring a bargain.

More than £120 million was expected to be spent in central London alone this weekend in what is traditionally one of the busiest retail weekends of the year.

By 10.30am more than 200,000 shoppers had already visited London's world famous Oxford Street shopping area.

With less than a fortnight until Christmas, shopping was expected to build to a peak later today.

By 10.30am more than 200,000 shoppers were already in the heart of London's West End.

Jace Tyrrell, spokesman for the New West End Company, which covers Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, said: 'It has already been very busy this morning.

'There's been around 200,000 people through the stores already, and there were people queueing outside some of the shops this morning.

'This weekend will be one of the busiest of the year - we are expecting around £120million to go through the tills by the end of tomorrow.'

Mr Tyrrell said trading was up on last year despite the recession, with fewer discounted bargains on the shelves.

More shoppers flood Oxford Street today. Millions of pounds will be spent over the next two days as shoppers throughout the country descend upon high street stores and shopping centres to snap up Christmas gifts

Shopping centres in East Anglia said they were busy and trade appeared to be good.

'We have been quite busy in recent weeks,' said a spokeswoman for the Queensgate centre in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire.

'We do seem to be particularly busy today. We obviously haven't got any figures but from what I can see we're as busy this Christmas as ever.

'Certainly, just speaking as a shopper it seems to me that people are out shopping and spending money.'

A spokeswoman for Bluewater shopping centre in Greenhithe, Kent, said it had been 'extremely' busy today.

The number of shoppers through the doors was unavailable but she said the car park, which has 13,000 spaces, was 'nearly full'.

However, other indications suggested that shoppers' confidence did not match retailers'.

A Times/Populus poll showed that adults expect to spend an average £321 on gifts this year - down £37.50 from last year's Christmas budget.

This compares with an average spend of £425 in December 2003.

A record number of stores will be trading around the clock and hundreds more will be open until late into the night in a landmark bid to generate a last-minute Christmas rush.

More than 740 supermarkets will be trading 24 hours a day in the week before Christmas - an all-time high.

On top of that at least another 300 will be trading until 11pm or even midnight, including Marks & Spencer and Debenhams outlets.

M&S said 113 of its Simply Food stores will be trading 24 hours a day in the run-up Christmas.
It's a reflection of the fact that Christmas falls on a Friday this year, forcing millions of workers to shop for fresh food and gifts after work between Monday and Thursday evening.

Many stores will be also pushing Sunday trading restrictions to breaking point.

Jason Gordon, retail director at Ernst & Young consultants, called the moves 'eminently sensible', saying: 'British shopping hours never cease to amaze the Americans who come to the UK.

'They are staggered by the early times stores close. But we are moving towards a more American model.'

He suggested current Sunday trading restrictions - originating in the Christian tradition of devoting the day to rest, worship and family - are outdated, adding: 'We live in a multi-cultural society. Giving retailers the ability to trade fully on a Sunday would be well-received by many.'

source: dailymail.co.uk