Shoppers defy recession to hit the town (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Footfall at Festival Place up 17 per cent

12:00pm Monday 2nd January 2012 in Local By Simon Moss

Last-minute Christmas shoppers at Festival Place on Friday, December 23

IT wasn't just the bells that were ringing as thousands of shoppers gave tills in Basingstoke a festive workout.

Unexpectedly large numbers of last minute bargain-hunters hit Festival Place shopping centre and The Malls in the two days before Christmas.

And very long queues formed for the sales which started on Boxing Day.

Friday, December 23 was widely reported as the country's busiest shopping day of the year and Festival Place was no exception.

More than 80,000 people hit the shopping centre, defying the economic downturn - a figure that was up 35 per cent on the same day last year.

Festival Place was open from 9am until 9pm on the 23rd and bumper crowds packed in to make the most of the early sales at many stores.

And with Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday, there was ample time for the habitual last-minute present-buyers to go out and open their wallets.

Steve Connolly, centre director of Festival Place, said during Christmas week there were 17 per cent more shoppers than the same week in 2010.

He added: “Friday (December 23) was out busiest day of the year. Despite all the economic gloom I think people genuinely want to be able to forget about that and have a nice Christmas. How it has fallen this year is also particularly important, it is almost like having two Christmas Eves. We had the usual mix of last-minute shoppers but also the business workers coming in after finishing for the weekend on Friday afternoon.”

Among those braving the packed aisles was Shirley Allen, of Grove Road, Basingstoke, who said she had tried to spread her Christmas shopping over a number of weeks to avoid any mad panic. She told The Gazette: “We really didn't expect it to be as busy as this. It is absolutely heaving. Even with all these people there is still a lovely atmosphere.”

Despite the shopping rush before Christmas, people were clearly still keen to hit the shops on Boxing Day.

About 450 people queued up outside Next in Wesley Walk, before its sale began at 6am, and around 100 people waited outside Marks and Spencer in Porchester Square, which opened for the first time on Boxing Day.

Mr Connolly added: “People have cut back throughout the year but at Christmas time they are going to spend what they want and enjoy themselves.”

Ria Hepden, acting assistant manager at Bonmarche in The Malls, was working on Boxing Day, and said: “We didn't open until 10.30am so I got into town a bit early and there were people everywhere. There were people queuing outside Next towards the bus station because apparently they were only letting a certain number in at a time. There was just a mass of people.”

The 28-year-old from Limes Park, said Bonmarche was busy throughout the day.

She added: “We were really surprised. You would think the sort of people who buy in our shop would spend time with their families on Boxing Day. I just didn't expect to see that many people.”