Festive footfall is starting to build nicely as the journey to Christmas already looks being upbeat for retailers, according to data from both global retail solutions portfolio Sensormatic Solutions and MRI Software.
Over the latest weekend (13-14 December) footfall rose 4.4% week-on-week, Sensormatic’s ShopperTrak Analytics data, which captures 40 billion store visits globally each year, showed.
Shopper counts across last week also increased steadily, rising 3.6% on the week before (1-7 December vs 8-14 December). However, footfall across Saturday and Sunday remained lower than 2024, down 5.7% and 5.4% year-on-year respectively.
UK shoppers were expected to have made 20.6 million transactions over Friday and Saturday, 6.39% higher than 2024, according to separate figures from Nationwide,
While footfall rose 3.5% week-on-week last Saturday, Sunday was the top performing day for store visits across the weekend, with shopper counts jumping 5.7% on the week prior and High Streets seeing the biggest boost (+12%).
Andy Sumpter, EMEA Retail consultant at Sensormatic Solutions, said: “After a mixed start to Peak Trading and concerns that consumer caution could dampen consumers’ Christmas spirits, retailers will have welcomed the tempered but steady build in festive footfall last week.”
Super Saturday (20 December) is expected to be the busiest day for store footfall of the entire Peak Trading season, according to Sensormatic’s predictions. This year, consumers are expected to make 10.7 million transactions on Super Saturday as they rush to finish their Christmas shopping.
Sumpter added: “All eyes now turn to Super Saturday, undoubtedly one of the highest-stakes shopping days of the Christmas season. And, while a single day can’t carry the entire trading period, retailers will be hoping that early momentum continues to build towards the Christmas crescendo.”
Over at MRI Software, retail footfall remained strong last week (8-14 December) compared to the prior week with a 3.1% rise recorded across all UK retail destinations. This was mainly driven by a 5% rise in high streets and a 2.2% uplift in shopping centres, whereas retail park visits were flat on the week before
While declines were recorded across the board on Sunday (-9.7%) and Tuesday (-6.2%), both mostly down to bad weather, “this did little to hamper overall trends”.
However, footfall rebounded strongly as conditions improved, with visits jumping 10.7% on Monday and 11.5% on Thursday, driven largely by activity on the high street. This could suggest the festive events and attractions drawing visitors in as well as festive parties whether they be work or social led, it said.
This is also reflected in Central London footfall remaining 4.2% higher week-on-week and 7.1% higher year-on-year. However historic and market towns recorded annual declines of -3.3% and -3% respectively.
Shopping centres witnessed similar trends to that of the high street with visits peaking on Thursday by 10%. Retail parks saw sharp declines on Sunday (-8.6%) and Tuesday (-5.7%) but experienced relatively steady growth for the remainder of the week.
Compared to the same week last year, footfall remained 0.5% lower largely influenced by a drop in shopping centre (-3.1%) and retail park (-1.6%) visits. High streets bucked the trend and saw visits rise by +1.3%.
Fine jewellery brand Senco Gold & Diamonds has expanded its men’s offering and launched new brand ‘Aham,’ designed to cater to modern Indian grooms with a range of gold, diamond, and platinum options.
A look from Senco Gold & Diamonds’ new brand Aham – Senco Gold & Diamonds – Facebook
“Aham draws inspiration from the evolving equal relationships of modern Indian couples where the groom’s style is now as significant as the bride’s,” said Senco Gold & Diamonds’ director and head of marketing and designs Joita Sen in a press release. “What we’ve seen in most Indian weddings so far is the groom looking on indulgently as his better half glitters in her wedding jewellery. With Aham, we wanted to change that narrative and have the couple dazzle equally in their Senco adornments! Each piece of this collection allows the groom the freedom to express his personal style, most naturally and effortlessly.”
Now available in Senco Gold & Diamonds’ pan-India brick-and-mortar stores, online, and on the Senco shopping app, Aham’s ‘Wedding Season Collection’ presents a contemporary take on traditional wedding jewellery. The label’s maiden collection features over 800 designs including kadas, platinum wristwear, diamond-set rings, and more minimalist cufflinks, along with a selection of fusion pieces in two-tone styles.
Senco Gold & Diamonds’ parent company Senco Gold Limited was incorporated in Kolkata in 1994, according to its website. The business counts over 175 stores in India.
Gucci owner Kering and private equity firm Ardian said on Tuesday they had completed a joint venture agreement for a New York property deal valued at $900 million.
Kering’s brands include Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Balenciaga – Reuters
Under the deal concluded earlier this year, Kering is contributing the property at 715-717 Fifth Avenue in New York to a newly created joint venture with Ardian, the companies said in a joint statement. Ardian will hold a 60% stake in this, with Kering retaining 40% and receiving $690 million in net proceeds.
The transaction is part of Kering’s broader strategy to secure control of high-profile retail locations while also raising cash. In January, Kering said it had transferred three of its Paris real estate assets to a new joint venture with Ardian, freeing up 837 million euros in proceeds.
“Like the investment agreement already signed in Paris, this transaction allows us to secure another long term highly prominent retail location for our houses while enhancing our financial flexibility,” said Kering chief operating officer Jean-Marc Duplaix, commenting on the New York Ardian deal.
London’s Selfridges continues to be the pop-up destination of choice in London’s West End (Harrods has that status in Knightsbridge) and one of the world’s best known labels will be there as of January.
Dior
Dior, which already has a strong presence in the London flagship will be unveiling its first pop-up boutique for its new summer 2026 creations inside the in-demand Corner Shop.
That’s important because it will celebrate the launch of Jonathan Anderson’s first collection.
Running from 8 January to 28 February, the unique space will “reveal a playful world like a waking dream”. The company said the summer 2026 menswear collection “breathes a certain spontaneity into the art of dressing, while the womenswear line radiates freshness, with leather goods presented alongside exquisite creations. An exceptional selection that expresses the reinvented essence of Dior”.
Dior is currently inviting customers to book appointments and said it will “extend the experience through a curated selection of exclusive events at the pop-up boutique”.
That includes notebook personalisation with “a nod to Versailles-style gilding, personalised detailing applied by an expert [that] promises to add a truly signature touch”. And there’s also bookmark calligraphy where visitors can add their initials to a bookmark, inspired by the newest Dior Book Tote designs by Anderson.
The news of the pop-up comes in the same week that Dior unveiled its super-sized flagship concept House of Dior Beijing. That five-storey space dwarfs the Selfridges space but underscores the ambitious plans LVMH has for the brand, the huge investment Dior is putting into its global growth and its targeting of key luxury markets.
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