High streets Late surge in Christmas shopping

Shoppers surged on to high streets on Saturday amid signs they are spending more in stores and on the internet than last year in the run-up to Christmas, as retailers hope for a last-minute rush.

- Sarah Butler

Spending was up 2.3% year on year during the seven weeks to 20 December, led by a 6.1% rise online, according to the credit and debit card provider Visa.

Shoppers focused on electronics and homeware, with sales rising almost 7% in department stores and electronics sales up 1.3%.

However, consumers are clearly choosing to allot their budgets very carefully, with sales of clothing and accessories down 2% year on year, suggesting it has been a difficult end to the season for the fashion industry after a mild autumn that prompted a wave of discounting.

Alicia Ngomo Fernandez, the head of UK consulting at Visa, said: "This holiday season we observed a tentative rebound in consumer confidence, reflected in moderate growth in overall sales and stronger online shopping - as well as solid growth in spending at department stores."