Shopper numbers down in January

The number of shoppers out and about in January was 4.0 per cent down on last year, according to customer traffic specialist SPSL.

'The compression of gift shopping and bargain hunting over Christmas and the New Year into an ever shortening time frame inevitably has an impact on people's desire to return to the shops immediately afterwards. Secondly, the universality of bargain offers and payment by credit nowadays has pushed the thrill of the traditional Sale season towards obsolescence,' said SPSL director of knowledge management Dr Tim Denison.

'We must also consider the current economic context. There are more unknowns lodged in people's heads about the future state of their wealth, security and priorities at the start of 2006 than at any year in the past decade. This is reflected in the response they have made to the ongoing winter sale offers on the high street,' he said.

'The message for retail 2006 is already on the wall: tighten up, toughen up or break the mould.'