Speedy shoppers get their own fast lane

ONE of the country’s biggest retail centres has launched a special fast lane for shoppers racing to bag a bargain for Christmas.

Bosses at the giant Lakeside Centre in Essex have created a 700ft-long corridor for customers who know where they want to go, and don’t want to be slowed down by those who are just browsing.

They also hope it will help reduce incidents of ‘slow-rage’, caused when determined bargain-hunters are held up by more leisurely shoppers.

Lakeside, which boasts more than 250 shops, 50 cafes and restaurants, and parking for 13,000 cars, attracts more than 25 million visitors a year, and the next few weeks will be the busiest of the year.

Elliott Goldenberg, of Mastercard, which is backing the experiment, said: ‘Retailers are refining their business models to meet the needs of today’s shoppers.’