Sales are over . . but shoppers are still splashing out the cash

Published on Saturday 31 January 2009 09:59

SHOPS in the Capital are reporting that their strong performance during the sales season has continued throughout January.

Some of the city's biggest shopping centres say they have either been as busy as last January or, in some cases, much busier.

It had been feared that the sales boost reported earlier in the month was down to bargain hunters, but shopping centres say they have been surprised by the level of trade – with shoppers said to still be willing to treat themselves with inexpensive gifts like clothes, books and DVDs.

The St James Centre – Edinburgh's biggest shopping centre – said weekly footfall is on average up by around 11 per cent on last January. Ocean Terminal has seen shopper numbers nudge ahead of last year, while many of its businesses say sales have improved.

Fashion store sales at Fort Kinnaird are up by five per cent and retail chain John Lewis said sales at its Edinburgh store in January are up 2.5 per cent on last year.

Dennis Jones, general manager at Ocean Terminal, said: "All things considered, here at Ocean Terminal we are as pleased as we can be. Any kind of increase is great in these times."

The Vue cinema at Ocean Terminal has reported "good" January trading with takings ahead of last year, while Ocean Kitchen & Sky Bar, Zizzi, Britannia and Debenhams have also reported strong sales.

Mr Jones said the advantage of having good trade at leisure attractions like the cinema is that it passes on to retail. "Where people are a bit slow on spending are the big purchases like furniture," said Mr Jones.

"But for things like clothing, books and CDs you don't have to save for a year."

The St James Centre has seen more than one million shoppers descend on it so far this month, with footfall in the week to January 4 up by a fifth on the same time last year. General manager Rochelle Weir said the footfall growth had translated into sales. She said: "Our retailers reported busier periods than this time last year, with many shoppers attracted by the excellent deals on offer."

The footfall has also translated into sales within its anchor store, John Lewis. In the month up to January 24, sales increased by 2.5 per cent on last year.

Andrew Murphy, managing director of John Lewis Edinburgh, said:

"Fashion and beauty have been strong. There is a psychology that, when times are tough, people like to treat themselves with things like clothes, make-up and perfume."

Fort Kinnaird centre manager Liam Smith said 800,000 shoppers visited the park in the first three weeks of the year, while fashion store sales were up by an average of five per cent.

The shopping centre growth comes despite city council figures showing year-on-year footfall declined by seven per cent on Princes Street in the seven weeks from the start of December.

George Street was down by 39 per cent and St Andrew Square was down by 32 per cent, although it is thought tram construction may be partially to blame.