But forecasts still exceeded
Footfall for December was down 2.3 per cent, according to research by SPSL, but slightly better than year-on-year forecasts of a 2.4 per cent decline.

Shopper numbers during the Christmas month also rose 34.8 per cent against November.

SPSL director of knowledge management Dr Tim Denison said: 'Progressively, over the last eight years, our data has shown shoppers taking to the streets later and later. Partly because they have been waiting for retailers' nerves to crack, but partly because they now prefer to do some of their gift searching and early shopping online.'

According to SPSL, the extra day's trading this year secured year-on-year gains of 0.8 per cent in the fourth week of December. However, retailers did not see a record-breaking surge of shoppers the week before Christmas.

Denison said: 'Perhaps the most unexpected part of the December story was left right to the tail end of the month. The last-minute crush in the stores on December 23 and 24 simply failed to materialise, but instead it happened after Christmas.'

Despite a shorter trading week this year, shopper numbers increased 0.5 per cent in the final week of the month, compared to the previous year. December 27 was the busiest Sale day since 2002, with many stores reporting record figures.

Denison added: 'The Retail Traffic Index dataset is the first key indicator to be published that provides a retail verdict on Christmas 2006. Retailers should take heart from its results, that the gloom felt in November lifted in December and though still down on 2005, the month produced the best year-on-year comparisons of the year, bar the exception of an Easter-bolstered April. '