Meadowhall: Shopper surge as mega-mall returns to normal - and this is what people are buying

Recent centre numbers show many people started their festive shopping much earlier than usual and the Black Friday weekend (25th – 27th November) was its busiest in several years. Retailers are also reporting higher sales than last year, particularly in health and beauty, electricals, gifting and premium jewellery

Restaurants and cafes have also seen bookings increase in the run-up to Christmas compared to last year, it is claimed, and value retailers have enjoyed a ‘strong performance’ as people try to save money in a cost-of-living crisis.

Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, said: “Against a very challenging backdrop, we’ve been really pleased with our Christmas so far with footfall up 10 per cent on last year and at the highest we’ve seen since the start of the pandemic.

“We’ve definitely seen people start their seasonal shopping much earlier as many look to manage budgets, and shop savvy. Running parallel with that, it’s the first ‘real’ Christmas we’ve had for years and so there’s certainly evidence of people going the extra mile to celebrate with their loved ones – whether that’s spending time together dining out, enjoying a Christmas experience, or buying an extra special gift.

“We’re expecting to continue seeing high numbers of visitors this week in the lead up to the big day, particularly with the current strike action and concerns over Christmas deliveries for last-minute gifts. If people do find themselves in that position, a large majority of our stores offer Click + Collect services.”