Holidays - Retail: Christmas markets attract people to city centers
At the start of the Christmas shopping season, people flocked to Lower Saxony's cities in droves - at least where the Christmas markets have opened. Cities with attractive Christmas markets tended to have higher footfall on the first Saturday of Advent and retailers there recorded better sales, said Mark Alexander Krack, Managing Director of the Lower Saxony-Bremen Trade Association, on Sunday. In other places and in general, the consumer restraint that has been apparent all year is also evident in the Christmas business. But: "Retailers are happy when the frequency is right," he said.
In terms of footfall, i.e. the number of people in the city centers, Hanover and Braunschweig, for example, were even higher than in 2019, i.e. before the coronavirus pandemic, said Krack. Retailers there were largely satisfied with the start to the Advent season.
The retail expert pointed out that this year, the period between the first Advent and Christmas is significantly shorter than a year ago. It is also expected that many people will opt for vouchers or cash as gifts. "I don't believe that the desire to consume will change fundamentally," said Krack, referring to the political situation and the many crises in the world.
The pre-Christmas period is hugely important for retailers. The months of November and December account for around 25 to 30 percent of annual sales in the books, perfumeries and toys segments, but less so in other segments.
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Source: www.stern.de
