Shoppers quit sales and go online for deals

Retail: High street spending plummets as buyers abandon shops after one day

Shoppers have quit Scotland’s sales after bargains sold out in three days, sending high street spending in Scotland plummeting 80% as buyers flood websites instead.

Experts said the January sales were effectively ending before January has even begun, blaming a “Black Friday sales mentality” of a one-day blowout on Boxing Day, with plunging trade since.

The high street spending collapse means online trade will be bigger than store takings from yesterday.

A total of £64 million was likely to be spent on websites on Friday, data from the Centre for Retail Research revealed.

Stores expected sales of just £60m, three days after Boxing Day’s £380m blowout.

Customers took to social media to say they were “heartbroken” and “so annoyed” as they reported discounted items have already sold out at shops.

Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the Centre for Retail Research, said: “After three days of the sales, people are saying ‘there’s nothing I want left,’ so people just stop spending in shops.

“The sales used to last three weeks but are now mainly over in three or four days.

“Post-christmas is turning into a Black Friday-style one-day sale mentality, with everyone focused on Boxing Day.”

Mintel director of retail research Richard Perks said: “Customers are irritated when bargains they want sell out, so spending reduces. Some move from high streets to online.”

Bargain hunters have abandoned the high street.