Finally the till bells started ringing in The Mall Ilford last weekend as retailers reported a challenging trading period with the much-hyped credit crunch clearly causing concerns.
There are signs that our customers, having dusted down their seasonal decorations and put up their trees, could not leave it any longer before they started to buy the gifts for Santa to leave beneath those trees.
At The Mall Ilford, our customers have been able to get into the Christmas spirit in our newly located grotto on our second level. Santa has been available all this month and is here until Christmas Eve ably supported by his elves.
Talking of elves, the children coming to The Mall at weekends and in the final week before Christmas, can “come as their self and leave as an elf” in a promotion on all levels where the children go to “elf stations” and get the next layer of dress to transform themselves into elves. Santa’s sleigh has been pulling children around the mall which finishes up at the grotto were they can make their visit to Santa.
Most retailers appear to be holding their nerve and not taking price reductions as yet although the red décor could well start to appear as we go into the final week.
Footfall has, disappointingly, been slightly down as we head towards peak, but with the big day falling on a Tuesday this year there is a definite feeling that this weekend will be huge and footfall numbers will reflect this. At The Mall Ilford, we have a newly developed and larger TK Maxx, an upsized and relocated Perfume Shop, together with Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and New Look so we are well placed for that last minute rush of shoppers.
Top selling merchandise this year, as reported by some of our store managers are worth noting so you can buy that must have present. Hitting all the right notes in HMV is the ‘High Street Musical’ DVD and the Nintendo Wii. WH Smith report their Jacqueline Wilson book range has sold well and their board games too are selling quickly following their promotion of Buy 1 Get One Half Price.
Perfume Shop report that Christina Aguilera and Armani Diamonds are the top selling women’s perfumes and that men will find Jean Paul Gautier and Armani Code in their stockings this year. The free PSP with the Sony Ericsson W810i has proved popular in Carphone Warehouse and the£50 cash back on trade-in when upgrading on T-Mobile has also been in demand. New Look suggest the gift of choice has been the “Me to You” range which has been amongst its fastest lines.
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