Christmas Shoppers Get Away

According to research, this year six per cent more UK consumers will purchase everything they need for Christmas 2012 via shopping online. However, many people are bucking the trend and booking a weekend away.

The days to Christmas are counting down fast.

According to research, this year six per cent more UK consumers will purchase everything they need for Christmas 2012 via shopping online. E-commerce breaks records almost every year when Christmas arrives.In addition, with the invention of more and more gadgets, the amount of people ordering Christmas gifts via their smart phones or tablets is set to rise.

However, whilst there are concerns that many shoppers have turned to the internet to buy gifts other retail analysts argue that shoppers still like to browse. Many people will have saved up money to go and visit the stores with many making a weekend of it.

According to a spokesman for Serviced City Apartments they are very busy at this time of year with people particularly interested in city breaks.

Said the spokesman: "Our serviced apartments in London and serviced apartments in Manchester are particularly popular during the festive season".

The advantages of a serviced apartment do not come at a higher cost - apartments can actually be less expensive than hotels, particularly when you consider that you have 50% more space in the vast majority of apartments.

Weekend trips away are very popular especially in the bigger cities such as London, where Oxford Steet is a draw and Manchester where shoppers like to take a look around the Christmas Market Stalls - something you cannot do online!

Shop managers are keen to get people through the door, confident their loyalty branding and instore sales will help them bridge the gap with the internet.