UK Xmas retail sales grew 2.2 percent helped by clothing and food online

As online retail within the UK is predicted to continue to grow albeit faced with the challenges on retail logistics, spending on clothing and food online helped to boost UK retail sales growth of 2.2 percent over the December festive period, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse.

Among the big winners were clothing sales which increased by 13.7 percent year-on-year, however, luxury goods and jewellery were down by 3.4 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively on 2016.

Mastercard also revealed Christmas trading was tough with weaker footfall in the Boxing Day sales, largely due to holiday discounting that started earlier around Black Friday, which impacted the year-on-year results.

According to Scott Abrahams, senior vice president of business development at Mastercard UK and Ireland, there was a mixed performance among retailers although those British retailers with a strong online presence showed optimistic results.

“When looking at the year as a whole, 2017 saw retail sales increase 4 percent. Although Christmas trading was tough and showed a mixed performance among retailers, these results do show that there some areas of optimism for British retailers, particularly those with a strong online presence.”

Meanwhile Westfield, owned by Europe’s largest shopping mall operators, has revealed an increase of visitors over the Christmas period in 2017, registering 14.1 million shoppers at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, with an overall year-on-year 1% increase.

Westfield 's shopping malls experienced three peak trading periods in November and December, notably the Black Friday weekend that saw 850,000 visitors, the ‘Super Weekend’ (the last weekend before Christmas) with more than 800,000 visitors bringing the pre-Christmas week trade to 1.85m and the Boxing Day sales period with more than 320,000 visitors.

Myf Ryan, Chief Marketing Officer, Westfield UK and Europe, said by offering a mix of retail, dining, events, leisure and entertainment, Westfield had lured visitors away from the comfort of their home to their shopping malls.  

Over the Christmas period, we offered many unique and immersive experiences to our customers. With over 70 million visitors coming to the centres each year, we are looking forward to creating even more exciting experiences and activities for our customers to enjoy in 2018,” says Ryan.

Festive events created and hosted by Westfield included having pop star Gwen Stefani to switch on the Westfield London Christmas lights with a special festive performance and a “first to the UK ground-breaking technology” Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire hyper reality experience.

Two spectacular light shows over Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour this December

Hong Kong’s famous picturesque Victoria Harbour with its magnificent skyline is set to be even more spectacular this December with the staging of two light shows – the new version of the internationally acclaimed nightly multi-media A Symphony of Light and the winter version of the Hong Kong Pulse Light Show – from 1st to 28th December 2017. 

Hong Kong skyline by night as viewed from Kowloon.

The two extravaganzas, best viewed from the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in the Kowloon side, will brighten up Hong Kong’s Christmas atmosphere with dynamic lighting effects and the illusion of an wintry setting at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

The new version of A Symphony of Lights features dynamic rays of light sent out in rhythm from 40 buildings and locations on both sides of the Victoria Harbour. The new show incorporates a variety of exciting lighting effects such as coloured searchlights, lasers, and all-new beam lights sent out like a special fan-shaped lighting effect from the roof of the Central Government Offices and the Revenue Tower. Ten LED panels on a number of harbourside buildings are for the first time joining the multi-media show, displaying images and messages to encourage audience participation. 

The show is complemented by music from Asia’s leading classical orchestra the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, providing visitors with a thrilling and unforgettable sound-and-light experience. The 10-minute show begins at 8pm every evening. 

This is immediately followed by the winter version of Hong Kong Pulse Light Show - an 8-minute performance -   at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.  The 3D projection show begins with a snowstorm which covers the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in snow and ice and blows away the numbers on the Clock Tower, stopping time just before Christmas arrives. 

An ingenious dragon then sets out to find the missing numbers which are scattered across Hong Kong landmarks. The dragon eventually finds them and restarts time to save Christmas. During the show, the piazza is decorated with snowing effect along with glowing LED balls and a giant crystal ball. 

Photos © Lucia Carpio 2017

The Design Museum Market from 1-3 December.

Design Junction and the Design Museum of London are partnering to offer the Design Museum Market from 1-3 December.

If like me you have been inundated with emails and Emessages on huge discounts on offer coming so-called Black Friday, forget about them if you want to pick up something unique for yourself or loved ones this Christmas.

Statement scarfs from Pipet Design  will be found at the Design Museum Market.

Instead head over to the Design Museum Market 1-3 December if you are in London as this is where you will find a good selection of jewellery, ceramics, glassware, textiles, homewares, graphic design, digital and children’s products - everything from original stocking-fillers to stand-out gifts, just in time for the coming festive season.

Returning for the second year, there will be a range of new brands to discover and shop from alongside designjunction exhibitors including luxury statement scarfs from Pipet Design, home furniture from Studio Perki, stationery and homeware from Laura Knight Studio, and various original gifts from Lollipop Designs, Linescapes and Alice Bosc.

Located in the Huth Gallery on 2nd floor of the museum, visitors will also have access to Design Maker User, the Design Museum’s permanent collection.

 To see more of what's in store click here.