More shoppers out looking for bargains

Shoppers fought off the cold weather and economic gloom this weekend to hit the high street in greater numbers than last year, according to figures published today.

Over Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the number of people out looking for bargains in the post-Christmas sales was up 2.7 per cent on the same period in 2008.

The figures, compiled by Experian FootFall, showed that although shopper numbers were down 3.9 per cent on Saturday and 5.2 per cent on Sunday, they were up a bumper 14.4 per cent on Friday.

Experian said the fact that New Year's Day fell on a Thursday may have shifted the normal weekend shopping pattern, with many people taking Friday off work to hit the sales and keeping the weekend free.

While the high footfall will encourage retailers, it will not necessarily translate into greater revenue, with shops forced to slash prices to lure customers through the doors, Experian warned.