UK shopper numbers rise on Monday – survey

UK shopper numbers increased 13.6 percent on Monday compared to the same Monday in 2007 which was Christmas Eve, a survey showed on Tuesday.

"Yesterday's figures signalled that shoppers were out in force buying last minute gifts and Christmas merchandise," said market researcher Experian

It said Monday's outcome was the first day of the Christmas shopping season — excluding "super Thursday" when all the big department stores had "spectacular days" offering large discounts — to see positive numbers.

"This strong performance follows seven weeks of negative performance, so this final rally by consumers will be welcome relief for most retailers, but not sufficient to save the season for some."

Experian said Christmas Eve traditionally tends to be a quieter day as shoppers focus more on travelling and the festivities.

"It will be interesting to see how Christmas Eve performs this year with retailers extending their opening hours to further entice consumers," it added.