Weather warms traders as shoppers rush to buy
1:21pm Friday 23rd December 2011 in News
A LAST-MINUTE Christmas shopping spree has given traders a welcome boost.
Pop star Matt Cardle was among the thousands of shoppers who visited Colchester yesterday.
The winner of X Factor in 2010 headed straight to the Chanel counter at Williams & Griffin to buy his and hers fragrances.
One member of staff said: “I got his autograph. I can only hope he was buying for his mum and not a girlfriend.”
Another said: “He obviously has good taste as he bought the best-selling perfumes.
“I gave him a kiss when he came here last year, so it was only right I did it again.”
Traders were expecting another bumper day today and tomorrow.
They said this year’s pre-Christmas rush had been much better than last, thanks to warmer weather.
Temperatures soared to 10 degrees, in stark contrast to last year when many stores found themselves snowed in.
December 23 is set to be the biggest shopping day.
Tracy Law, owner of Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shop, in Eld Lane, said: “It’s much better than last year. Lots of people couldn’t get into the town centre then because the villages were so snowed in.
“People have been a bit panicky this year because of that.”
Alan Edwards, of chocolate shop Minerva, in Eld Lane, said: “We are obviously doing much better than last year because the weather was so bad in 2010. Luckily, we’ve also got an extra Saturday before Christmas, which takes some of the pressure off.
“It used to be that we would stop at lunch-time on Christmas Eve, but nowadays we’re busy right the way through until closing time.”
Major retailers say most of the shoppers pouring into the town centres in the final three days before Christmas are expected to be men, who typically leave their gift-buying until the last minute.
Shopper Chris Dawson, 45, of East Mersea, rushed to Colchester yesterday to buy presents for his wife and daughter.
He said: “I nearly waited until Christmas Eve to come in, but I managed to get half a day off work. It’s just so busy in the centre. Christmas is the only time I ever come in.
“I don’t like buying online though, because you can’t see what you’re getting.”
Billy Legilant, 23, of New Town, said: “I’ll be doing mine on Christmas Eve because I’m a bloke.”