Discounting expected on Super Saturday
Last-minute Christmas shoppers are expected to enjoy widespread discounting this weekend as retailers use Super Saturday to provide a muchneeded end-of-year boost.
PWC has predicted that people are planning to shop later and spend less this Christmas, in part because there is one less shopping weekend between Black Friday and 25 December this year.
This is likely to mean stores are under more pressure to increase promotions this weekend as they look to draw in more cautious consumers and clear seasonal stock.
Lisa Hooker, Pwc’s consumer markets leader, said: “We expect to see significantly higher promotional levels this weekend and a bumper Boxing Day sale compared to previous years, with deep discounts for consumers.”
The predictions come as retailers end another difficult year after shoppers held off on spending until Black Friday and then exercised caution amid the uncertainty of Brexit and the general election.
But confidence appears to be increasing post-election, with Gfk’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index suggesting a significant uptick in optimism towards the general economy, personal finances and spending plans.
Ms Hooker said: “The election and other distractions heralded a slower start to the month, so all eyes will be on this weekend’s Super Saturday when we expect a lastminute rush to the shops, and potentially some big bargains for patient consumers.”
Analysts Springboard has predicted footfall will peak on Saturday at 10 per cent higher than last Saturday and 3 per cent higher than the same Saturday last year.
But this is off the back of an annual drop of 4.4 per cent last year, meaning this year’s figure remains negative over the two years at minus 1.4 per cent.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said: “Consumers clearly took advantage of early discounts to purchase Christmas presents, and are now waiting for discounts to deepen once again in the days immediately before Christmas as retailers do their best to shift unsold stock. Super Saturday is once again expected to be the peak Christmas trading day, although with Monday and Tuesday still offering consumers opportunities to purchase last-minute gifts, its success will be more muted than if Christmas were on Monday or Tuesday when purchasing opportunities post-saturday would be more limited.”
The Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City malls said they were expecting the lastweekendbeforechristmas this year to bring more than a million visitors through the doors.