Online Xmas shopping will impact UK Retail high street

As Christmas shopping is gathering momentum, experts from market intelligence agency Mintel predict prospects for the upcoming festive season to be good, and expect total UK retail sales will grow 2.5% in December 2016, taking retail sales up to £42.2 billion.

PURE London, a popular trade fair for UK retailers sourcing fashion and accessories.

                                                   

Many of the consumers will shop online, to avoid high street crowds and to surf for cheaper prices while shopping at hours that best suit them, according to Mintel in a recent report.

However a new report released this week predicted that online shopping will drive more fashion stores to close.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the Local Data Company (LDC) have predicted that as consumer spending habits continue to evolve, UK fashion store numbers on town centres are falling at their fastest rate in several years and fashion is suffering more than the wider retail sector.

The report said there were 2,656 store closures across the UK retail sector in the first six months of the year with only 2,153 openings, the lowest number in half a decade.

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Photo: © Lucia Carpio.