Concert may keep consumers in front of the TV
Up to 200,000 people are looking forward to seeing a galaxy of music stars from Pink Floyd to the Scissor Sisters at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park this weekend which has serious implications for the London's retailers.

Stores in the capital and across the UK could find it a quiet weekend, as transport is disrupted by so many music-lovers journeying into the centre of the city and shoppers stay in to watch the concert on TV.

Shopper traffic monitor Footfall marketing manager Natasha Burton noted that in the past, major events have had a significant impact on UK shoppers behaviour. She said that Footfall had not measured the effect of anything at such a scale as the concert set up by the irascible Bob Geldof (pictured), so how far the high street is affected will be difficult to predict.

She said: 'As far as comparisons go, the most recent major even to impact on the UK's footfall figures was the Rugby World Cup Final, which created a drop of 9.6 per cent compared to the same day in the previous year.'

Burton noted that previous momentous events have often been followed by surges in spending, but the reason the Live 8 was set up may have the opposite effect.

She said: 'In contrast to the feel-good factor we've associated with other events, the whole message behind the concert may also make people think twice about spending their money. This could have a dampening effect on shopping.'