Omicron dashes high streets’ hopes of bumper weekend before Christmas

The Guardian says Shoppers have pulled back from UK high streets in the crucial final weekend of shopping before Christmas, figures reveal, as the retail and hospitality sectors continue to struggle amid fears over the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

The latest data from retail intelligence firm Springboard showed that visits to retailers around the UK on Saturday and Sunday were up just 0.8% and down 1.8%, respectively, compared with a week earlier, reversing the usual trend for footfall to soar ahead of the big day.

Hopes of a bumper December to compensate for losses over the pandemic have been thoroughly dashed, with the number of overall visits 25.2% lower across all retail sites on Sunday compared with 2019, while for shopping centres they plunged by 32.9%. Saturday’s visits were down 18.1% and 25.2%, respectively.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/19/shoppers-pull-back-from-uk-high-streets-over-omicron-fears