CITY traders are reporting a mixed start to 2008 after a recent flurry of January bargain hunting.
The Chronicle reported two weeks ago that the city centre was swamped with shoppers on the prowl for the biggest cost reductions.
But customers have become few and far between as shops are bracing themselves for a spending slump.
On Wednesday last week, Marks & Spencer reported a 2.2% drop in third quarter like-for-like sales as consumers tightened their postChristmas budget.
With M&S a High Street yardstick, the disappointing figures confirm fears that retailers are facing tough trading conditions.
Though no figures were available to show how M&S is doing in Chester, other shops seem to be weathering the storm quite well with the Disney Store, Boots, Walton’s jewellers and HMV all reporting steady trade.
Jon Lee, store manager of HMV on Foregate Street, said: “It has been very successful, we are in the third week of the sale now and in the first two weeks we were massively busy and achieved all our sales targets.”
Lisa Roberts of the Disney Store said: “It’s been really good for us this year, it usually is. We get a lot of people in for the 70% reductions and it hasn’t been too bad at all.”
On the other side of Eastgate clock, stores have reported a more challenging time.
Watergate Street’s Japanese Shop manager Sharon Edwards said: “It has been very quiet, almost deadly quiet. Takings are definitely down on this time last year.
“Overall the last year has been great but January has been very quiet indeed.
“There just doesn’t seem to be as many people around – I went out shopping myself a few days ago and the majority of other shops were the same.”
Stewart Harris, manager of MCC on Watergate Row said: “We were packed full a couple of weeks ago and it’s completely empty now.
“The ironic thing is that we had to turn customers away because we couldn’t get the stock in fast enough. Now we have everything in but no customers.”
