Busiest shopping day ‘now like any other’

It was once the biggest shopping day of the year, the day when entire families were “rigged out” for Christmas. Now it’s just like any other shopping day in the run-up to Christmas, say retailers.

Today, Dec 8, also known as “farmers’ day” was traditionally the day when country people piled into cars to nearby towns and cities to “do the Christmas shop”.

It was a day for picking up presents and a day for a big hotel lunch.