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| Shops hoping for spending spree | Shops hoping for spending spree |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Struggling retailers are hoping that the last Saturday before Christmas will be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. | Struggling retailers are hoping that the last Saturday before Christmas will be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. |
| Despite gloomy predictions, millions of people are expected to pack shops across the UK looking for bargains. | Despite gloomy predictions, millions of people are expected to pack shops across the UK looking for bargains. |
| A spokeswoman for the Bullring centre in Birmingham said it was expecting 50% more visitors than on a normal weekend. | A spokeswoman for the Bullring centre in Birmingham said it was expecting 50% more visitors than on a normal weekend. |
| But the British Retail Consortium was not optimistic. It said sales so far in December had been "pretty bad". | But the British Retail Consortium was not optimistic. It said sales so far in December had been "pretty bad". |
| In November, UK retail sales rose unexpectedly, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Total volumes climbed 0.3% from the previous month and were up 1.5% from a year ago, it said. | In November, UK retail sales rose unexpectedly, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Total volumes climbed 0.3% from the previous month and were up 1.5% from a year ago, it said. |
| 'Midnight sales' | 'Midnight sales' |
| In recent years, discounts previously only seen in January have increasingly been used to tempt customers in the run-up to Christmas itself. | In recent years, discounts previously only seen in January have increasingly been used to tempt customers in the run-up to Christmas itself. |
| Retail experts say this has prompted shoppers to leave their purchases until later. | Retail experts say this has prompted shoppers to leave their purchases until later. |
| Louise Hamer-Brown, from the Bullring Centre, told BBC Radio 5 Live she was optimistic about this weekend. | Louise Hamer-Brown, from the Bullring Centre, told BBC Radio 5 Live she was optimistic about this weekend. |
| "Schools have now broken up. It's been pay day, so we're expecting about 225,000 people to come shopping at Bullring [on Saturday] and about 120,000 probably on Sunday," she said. There's definitely been a shift away from heavy durables Andrew NunnTrago Mills department stores | "Schools have now broken up. It's been pay day, so we're expecting about 225,000 people to come shopping at Bullring [on Saturday] and about 120,000 probably on Sunday," she said. There's definitely been a shift away from heavy durables Andrew NunnTrago Mills department stores |
| "We have seen an increase in people shopping at the weekend [this year]. So I think shopping is more of a day out. It's something you do socially." | "We have seen an increase in people shopping at the weekend [this year]. So I think shopping is more of a day out. It's something you do socially." |
| The Daily Mail newspaper said Britain was to become the "Land of the Midnight Sales" with "a record number of shops trading round the clock" in a bid to boost profits. | The Daily Mail newspaper said Britain was to become the "Land of the Midnight Sales" with "a record number of shops trading round the clock" in a bid to boost profits. |
| It reported that more than 730 supermarkets would stay open 24 hours a day from Sunday night and other stores, including Marks & Spencer and Debenhams, would keep some branches open until midnight. | It reported that more than 730 supermarkets would stay open 24 hours a day from Sunday night and other stores, including Marks & Spencer and Debenhams, would keep some branches open until midnight. |
| Retail analyst Robert Clarke told the BBC that even more drastic discounts could be seen next week. | Retail analyst Robert Clarke told the BBC that even more drastic discounts could be seen next week. |
| "In the very short term, retailers are going to see what happens in the next couple of days and then maybe on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday bring their sales period that they would normally have after Christmas forward," he said. | "In the very short term, retailers are going to see what happens in the next couple of days and then maybe on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday bring their sales period that they would normally have after Christmas forward," he said. |
| William Thomson, chief economist of UK financial data firm Experian, told the BBC it would not be possible to assess how bad the situation was until after Christmas. | |
| "As usual there's a cat and mouse game going on between retailers and consumers. People delaying their purchase until the pre-Christmas sales started," he said. | |
| "Probably the more interesting question will be what happens after this weekend. How do we go into the New Year? How do the retailers respond with further discounts? Can they discount further without killing their margins completely?" | |
| Changing habits | Changing habits |
| The ONS figures for November showed that the rise in monthly sales was led by household goods, which were up 3.9%. | The ONS figures for November showed that the rise in monthly sales was led by household goods, which were up 3.9%. |
| Food sales were up 0.2% for the month, but those of clothing and footwear were down 0.1%. | Food sales were up 0.2% for the month, but those of clothing and footwear were down 0.1%. |
| Internet sales were also up 3.8% from 3.2% in October. | Internet sales were also up 3.8% from 3.2% in October. |
| Andrew Nunn, business director at Trago Mills, which runs three department stores in the south west of England, said the pattern of shopping had changed due to the economic downturn. It's difficult to believe in the last week before Christmas that we can claw it back Stephen RobertsonBritish Retail Consortium | Andrew Nunn, business director at Trago Mills, which runs three department stores in the south west of England, said the pattern of shopping had changed due to the economic downturn. It's difficult to believe in the last week before Christmas that we can claw it back Stephen RobertsonBritish Retail Consortium |
| "There's definitely been a shift away from heavy durables, so things like furniture have suffered. Fitted kitchens and the like," he said. | "There's definitely been a shift away from heavy durables, so things like furniture have suffered. Fitted kitchens and the like," he said. |
| "And definitely, small products under a tenner have been up." | "And definitely, small products under a tenner have been up." |
| But the British Retail Consortium released conflicting figures for November. | But the British Retail Consortium released conflicting figures for November. |
| It said sales for the month were down 0.4% from a year earlier, and spokesman Stephen Robertson told the BBC that the outlook was gloomy. | It said sales for the month were down 0.4% from a year earlier, and spokesman Stephen Robertson told the BBC that the outlook was gloomy. |
| "It's fair to say we had a poor October and an even poorer November, and the chief executives of retailers I've been speaking to in the last few days suggest that December started pretty badly as well," he said. | "It's fair to say we had a poor October and an even poorer November, and the chief executives of retailers I've been speaking to in the last few days suggest that December started pretty badly as well," he said. |
| "So it's difficult to believe in the last week before Christmas that we can claw it back again." | "So it's difficult to believe in the last week before Christmas that we can claw it back again." |