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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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| Super Saturday: retailers hope for £1.4bn surge in sales | Super Saturday: retailers hope for £1.4bn surge in sales |
| (25 days 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. | 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. |
| About £1.4bn is expected to be spent in stores on Saturday alone, according to the Centre for Retail Research and VoucherCodes, with clothing and footwear, last-minute gifts, cosmetics and perfume at the top of shopping lists. | About £1.4bn is expected to be spent in stores on Saturday alone, according to the Centre for Retail Research and VoucherCodes, with clothing and footwear, last-minute gifts, cosmetics and perfume at the top of shopping lists. |
| Improvements in delivery services mean that some shoppers will continue to click online for presents and even food, spending £220m on Saturday alone. On Friday, John Lewis extended its deadline for pre-Christmas online orders for pick-up in store by 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday. | Improvements in delivery services mean that some shoppers will continue to click online for presents and even food, spending £220m on Saturday alone. On Friday, John Lewis extended its deadline for pre-Christmas online orders for pick-up in store by 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday. |
| Black Friday fuels UK sales rise | Black Friday fuels UK sales rise |
| Supermarkets have prepared for Super Saturday to be 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 sparkling wines at the chain. | Supermarkets have prepared for Super Saturday to be 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 sparkling wines at the chain. |
| 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 20 December and 23 December. | 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 20 December and 23 December. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Friday was expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year so far, with more than a fifth more shoppers visiting high streets, retail parks and shopping centres than on a typical day. However, footfall was down nearly 7% year on year by 3pm according to Springboard, much worse than the 3.5% drop the company had been expecting. | Friday was expected to be the busiest shopping day of the year so far, with more than a fifth more shoppers visiting high streets, retail parks and shopping centres than on a typical day. However, footfall was down nearly 7% year on year by 3pm according to Springboard, much worse than the 3.5% drop the company had been expecting. |
| 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. |
| New figures published on Friday indicated that underlying retail sales were up just 0.6% year on year in the week to 16 December, according to the advisory firm BDO’s survey of mid-sized chains. Sales at established physical stores were down nearly 1.4% while online sales were up just 5.8% compared to nearly 25% growth last year. | New figures published on Friday indicated that underlying retail sales were up just 0.6% year on year in the week to 16 December, according to the advisory firm BDO’s survey of mid-sized chains. Sales at established physical stores were down nearly 1.4% while online sales were up just 5.8% compared to nearly 25% growth last year. |
| The pain on the high street is evident in the 60% discounts being offered at Topshop, House of Fraser and New Look, while Debenhams, Gap, Jigsaw, Hobbs, Oasis and Ted Baker were slashing 50% off items. Even online players Asos and Boohoo were joining in the discount frenzy, offering price cuts of up to 50% and 70% respectively. | The pain on the high street is evident in the 60% discounts being offered at Topshop, House of Fraser and New Look, while Debenhams, Gap, Jigsaw, Hobbs, Oasis and Ted Baker were slashing 50% off items. Even online players Asos and Boohoo were joining in the discount frenzy, offering price cuts of up to 50% and 70% respectively. |
| As retailers desperately try to use every chance to rack up sales, just short of £1bn is expected to be spent even on Christmas Day as a number of retailers kick off their Boxing Day promotions early. | As retailers desperately try to use every chance to rack up sales, just short of £1bn is expected to be spent even on Christmas Day as a number of retailers kick off their Boxing Day promotions early. |
| Debenhams will launch its end of year discounts on Sunday, while John Lewis will start its clearance sale online at 5pm on Christmas Eve. | Debenhams will launch its end of year discounts on Sunday, while John Lewis will start its clearance sale online at 5pm on Christmas Eve. |
| National clean-up day recommended to bolster UK high streets | National clean-up day recommended to bolster UK high streets |
| 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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