Shoppers 'desert January sales'

Figures released today by information services company Experian, confirm that Christmas 2007 was a slower one for retailers with national Footfall Index figures revealing that 2.3% less people visited shopping centres and city stores in December 2007 compared to December 2006.

However, a late rally of shoppers in the final weeks before Christmas resulted in the overall footfall figure for 2007 ending slightly ahead of 2006, with 0.2% more people visiting stores in 2007.