Cold weather does not put Christmas shoppers off

With the effects of the recession and the global financial crisis still taking its toll on many households many may have been keen to cut back on the spending this Christmas and try and avoid spending a fortune over the festive season. However, despite the financial difficulties that many are facing at present it appears that even the freezing weather in the UK has not put off the shoppers that are determined to get their purchases bagged and home in time for the big day.

According to recent reports the recent cold snap, which has seen part of the UK facing heavy snowfall, has failed to put off shoppers that are still rushing around making their last minute purchases for gifts or for entertaining friends and family. The last weekend before Christmas saw heavy snowfall in some areas, but many consumers overcame the freezing temperatures and icy roads to continue with their Christmas shopping and get everything done and sorted out before Thursday.

The New West End Company represents over six hundred London traders, and said that compared to last year sales were up by 10 percent. Other authorities also reported healthy sales levels, and the credit card firm Visa said that it was likely that people would continue to spend over the next few days as they got themselves organised for Christmas.

;The company said that it was expecting to set a new record on 23rd December of processing more than seventeen million card transactions compared to sixteen million on the same day last year.

Richard Dickinson from the New West End Company said: “We think it’s going to be significantly greater this year because people have bounced back from recession. Either they are fed up with the recession and want to enjoy Christmas or they are thinking we are pulling out of it now.”

Tags: Richard Dickinson, New West End Company, Snow, credit, purchases, christmas, economics, recessions