FIGURES today from the Office of National Statistics show mixed news for retailers.
Sales figures are considerably higher than the same period last year but down on October.
The value of retail sales in November 2011 showed an increase of 4.6% compared with November 2010.
However, overall retail sales have fallen 0.4% on October’s numbers.
Once again, the average weekly spend on online retailing has increased, this time to a whopping £787.9m, up from £546.4m in October 2011 and is now estimated to account for 12.2% of all retail sales – the highest number on record.
Kevin Flood, CEO of retail expert Shopow, said: “Figures suggest that shoppers are continuing to move their shopping online.
“High street stores have had to pull out all the stops to make their shops attractive by reducing prices early and creating imaginative promotions to increase footfall and more activity at the tills.”
The news coincides with another report which suggests more than 11m shoppers are set to spend over £1bn.
And they will spend at rate of £1.5m a minute on the busiest shopping day of the festive season tomorrow.
Shopping comparison website Kelkoo said consumers will spend £128 each on Christmas presents and other goods, taking the average family spend this festive season to almost £700.
Online sales are expected to soar by over 165 to £13.4bn this Christmas compared to last year, and compared to a 25% fall on the high street, said the report.
