Our deserted shopping malls

Visits to stores plunge by HALF on New Year’s Day – as online sales triumph

THE number of bargain hunters at shopping centres on New Year’s Day has plunged by half in just one year as more of us shop on the internet.

This could signal the end of the January sales tradition as shoppers go online for cut-price deals long before the New Year rush, retail analysts warned yesterday.

Footfall – the number of people who browse or shop in a given time – fell by 49.5 per cent at shopping centres and retail parks on Sunday, while a drop of 12.7 per cent was recorded on high streets.

The average decline came to 23.8 per cent for all retailers, according to the consultancy Springboard.

However, while shops were less busy, internet sales rose by 6.8 per cent on New Year’s Day and 16.2 per cent on New Year’s Eve.

The cold and wet weather, along with reduced Sunday trading hours for New Year’s Day, were partly to blame for the fall in shoppers, but a succession of heavy discounts before the start of 2017 – especially online – means the January sales have lost their impact.

High street footfall on New Year’s Eve also fell by 2.4 per cent, while Boxing Day, which saw a 16.6 per cent drop at shopping centres, and a 6 per cent fall on the high street. Many shoppers will have snapped up bargains on November 25, Black Friday, while what used to be known as the Boxing Day sales began before Christmas, with some shops dusting off their sales banners as early as December 23 in a bid to compete with online rivals. Retailers starting early sales included Sainsbury’s and Amazon, which cut prices by up to 88 per cent at midnight on Christmas Eve.

And on Christmas Day itself there were record takings of £805million as one in five adults tore themselves away from festivities to snap up a bargain on the internet.

Springboard director Diane Wehrle said: ‘Retailers traditionally see the first trading weekend of the New Year as a sign of things to come. If this still rings true, the industry is set for a rocky 2017.

‘The ease and comfort of online shopping proved too enticing for shoppers keen to snap up further discounts in the sales rather than bracing the cold outdoors.

‘Shopping centres in particular have a challenge ahead in 2017. Having experienced a decline in footfall during 2016, these destinations need to up their game.’

More than 5million Britons will struggle to pay their bills this month after splurging at Christmas, a charity warned yesterday.

Some 11 per cent of adults – 5.5million – say they are likely to fall behind on their finances.

The Money Advice Trust, which runs the National Debtline, estimates that a third of adults paid for Christmas on their credit cards.