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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/dec/21/super-saturday-last-minute-christmas-splurge-predicted
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Super Saturday: last-minute Christmas splurge predicted | Super Saturday: last-minute Christmas splurge predicted |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Retailers are hoping for a surge in sales this weekend as shoppers switch from ordering online to hitting the high street for last-minute Christmas purchases. | |
| Brexit worries and bad weather cloud the Christmas high street | Brexit worries and bad weather cloud the Christmas high street |
| Friday is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year for non-food retailers, with about a fifth more shoppers visiting high streets, retail parks and shopping centres than on a typical day. | Friday is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year for non-food retailers, with about a fifth more shoppers visiting high streets, retail parks and shopping centres than on a typical day. |
| Supermarkets are preparing for Super Saturday, their biggest day of the year with Sainsbury’s predicting it will ring up £150m in online and in-store sales. Shoppers are expected to buy 1.8m mince pies, four tonnes of sprouts and 400,000 bottles of fizz. | Supermarkets are preparing for Super Saturday, their biggest day of the year with Sainsbury’s predicting it will ring up £150m in online and in-store sales. Shoppers are expected to buy 1.8m mince pies, four tonnes of sprouts and 400,000 bottles of fizz. |
| The company said it would also have its biggest-ever day for online sales, with more than 220,000 orders to be delivered – or one every second between Thursday and Sunday. | The company said it would also have its biggest-ever day for online sales, with more than 220,000 orders to be delivered – or one every second between Thursday and Sunday. |
| However, Diane Wehrle, the marketing director at Springboard, the retail analysts, said she expected the number of shoppers on Friday and Saturday to be lower than last year. “I had expected footfall this week to be down about 3.5% on last year but it looks like it will be worse than that,” she said. | However, Diane Wehrle, the marketing director at Springboard, the retail analysts, said she expected the number of shoppers on Friday and Saturday to be lower than last year. “I had expected footfall this week to be down about 3.5% on last year but it looks like it will be worse than that,” she said. |
| Wehrle said the decline reflected changing shopping habits. “There are a lot of other options now,” she said. “Kids want music streaming. We are buying experiences online such as tickets for the cinema that are so easy to access online. That drives spending away from stores.” | Wehrle said the decline reflected changing shopping habits. “There are a lot of other options now,” she said. “Kids want music streaming. We are buying experiences online such as tickets for the cinema that are so easy to access online. That drives spending away from stores.” |
| Retailers are under increasing pressure as more business moves online, just as shoppers rein in spending amid political and economic uncertainty caused by Brexit. | Retailers are under increasing pressure as more business moves online, just as shoppers rein in spending amid political and economic uncertainty caused by Brexit. |
| On Thursday, the pain on the high street was evident. Topshop and New Look were offering 60% discounts, while Debenhams, Gap, Jigsaw and Ted Baker were slashing 50% off items. | On Thursday, the pain on the high street was evident. Topshop and New Look were offering 60% discounts, while Debenhams, Gap, Jigsaw and Ted Baker were slashing 50% off items. |
| Bleak Christmas looms for non-food retailers | Bleak Christmas looms for non-food retailers |
| A survey by Deloitte, the professional services company, found that 43.6% of products studied were being discounted. It predicted that proportion would rise to a record 48%. | A survey by Deloitte, the professional services company, found that 43.6% of products studied were being discounted. It predicted that proportion would rise to a record 48%. |
| “As ever, it is going to be a nerve-jangling last few days, [before Christmas]” said Tim Denison, the director of retail intelligence at the consultancy firm Ipsos Retail Performance. | “As ever, it is going to be a nerve-jangling last few days, [before Christmas]” said Tim Denison, the director of retail intelligence at the consultancy firm Ipsos Retail Performance. |
| “Aside from Saturday, Tuesday is the worst possible day on which Christmas can fall. Curtailed trading hours on Sunday, followed by slow afternoon trading on Christmas Eve, means that much will depend on the rest of this week, particularly Super Saturday.” | “Aside from Saturday, Tuesday is the worst possible day on which Christmas can fall. Curtailed trading hours on Sunday, followed by slow afternoon trading on Christmas Eve, means that much will depend on the rest of this week, particularly Super Saturday.” |
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