Easter weekend to encourage consumer spending

Thursday, April 13, 2017 - 09:48 by Graham Miller

A number of factors are set to combine and help boost spending over the course of the Easter weekend this year, according to figures from Springboard.

Analysts predict that there will be an 8.8 per cent uptick in footfall on the high street, thanks to the good weather which is forecast for the break and the fact that many people still have cash to spare after being paid at the end of March.

Furthermore, the rise in shopping online is set to influence the market to a greater degree, with the availability of m-commerce services meaning that people will be happy to make web-based purchases while they are out and about.

E-commerce expert, Chris Hale, told the Retail Gazette that the trend for mobile shopping would be buoyed further thanks to the sunny conditions that are expected to be present across much of the UK. He explained that people would be using smartphone and tablet devices to browse sites that offer safe shopping online and complete transactions whilst in the process of relaxing in the mild Easter weather.

Interestingly, there are also signs that consumers in the UK will be turning away from spending their cash in traditional high street outlets and will instead be investing more on real world experiences that are traditionally more socially oriented. This means visits to restaurants, cafes and pubs are all expected to rise as the bank holiday weekend gets underway, to the detriment of sales at fashion outlets and other stores.

The internet is enabling people to shop and socialise at the same time, using their smartphones to get the latest deals while sitting outside with their friends, which shows the kind of influence that digital tech wields over the bricks and mortar retail market today.