The latest Retail Traffic Index (RTI) figures from research group SPSL show that despite a good deal of gloom from analysts and city-watchers, November was better than anticipated. Footfall on the high street was up by 2.7% on October, but still down by 0.8% on November 2006.
The view from SPSL's retail psychologist, Dr Tim Denison, is "that it's lovely to be able to bring some good news as pressures build in the run-up to Christmas. We had forecast that retail traffic would fall by 1.7% in the month against last year, so the decline of just 0.8% shows that activity on the high street has held up well in November.
"The long spell of cold, but dry weather was welcome particularly to the fashion sector. Key to it was that the period was sustained. Whe weather conditions oscillate at this time of year, people don't form a mindset that they really need a new winter coat or pair of boots, but when the cold snap endures the initial thought is re-enforced and this can then trigger a shopping expedition."
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