IN BRIEF

■ Shopping centres suffered a 6.5% in-store customers slump last week. The year-on-year drop was worsened by the previous week ending in Black Friday, which helped online more than stores. Meanwhile, numbers visiting in high street shops were down 5.7% last week, say industry experts Springboard.

■ Butchers chain Crawshaw has been sold to meat entrepreneur Tom Cribbin for £1.4million, securing 240 jobs.