Christmas shopping madness today..

[hollydolly]

They say 1/2 the country now shops online... well looking at today in Oxford street London , you wouldn't think so...

Trafalgar square...

and below is Smithfield meat market..

this is Westfield Mall in London.. I've posted photos of this on here before when I've been shopping...

 

[dilettante]

Whew!

 

[againstthegrain]

Not for me, thanks.

 

[catscan]

Me neither ... it's exhausting just watching them. Then again ... I'm not a fan of christmas.

 

[oscash]

Why do people wait until the last minute to do their Christmas shopping? I did mine 2 weeks ago. The car parks are overcrowded and many a temper tantrum is evident. It looks like there is a feeding frenzy in the shops. School holidays have started and crying children are everywhere. Looks like people's credit cards will be used to the max.

 

[debodun]

The pickpockets are out in force.

 

[hollydolly]

Why do people wait until the last minute to do their Christmas shopping? I did mine 2 weeks ago. The car parks are overcrowded and many a temper tantrum is evident. It looks like there is a feeding frenzy in the shops. School holidays have started and crying children are everywhere. Looks like people's credit cards will be used to the max.

I did the same..

 

[Jules]

Looking at those photos gives me a panic attack.

 

[HoneyNut]

When I was young I thought it was fun to go to crowded shopping malls this time of year, but looking at those pictures the current old me thinks 'how exhausting'.

 

[RadishRose]

I didn't see many bags/purchases being carried, tho'.

I'm down to gift cards, cash and lottery tickets.

No crowds for me anymore.

 

[debodun]

I didn't see many bags/purchases being carried, tho'.
I'm down to gift cards, cash and lottery tickets.

At my family's holiday party a few weeks ago, almost all the grab bag items were gift cards to a local convenience store.

 

[Michael Z]

Quite a bit slower pace by me, thankfully.

 

[MrPants]

I think you've told us before, there's too many people in your country. This pretty much prove it

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Well I didn’t go out shopping today but my dear husband did and reported that it was pure madness.

 

[hollydolly]

I think you've told us before, there's too many people in your country. This pretty much prove it

yes and when you figure this is just one street in one city.. which will have been replicated in thousands of streets in hundreds of towns today.. you can see the population problem we have..

 

[birdy]

I thought the mall nearby was bad for Christmas shopping. I avoid it in December, but you really have crowds.

 

[katlupe]

Oh brother, I would definitely pass out in that crowd.

 

[Remy]

That's just wow! I did no shopping aside from ordering myself some things online. And thrift stores for decor items.

Our Paws thrift store will be open 3 hours Christmas Eve for some holiday special. They are normally closed Sunday and Monday. I'll stop by and then go and use the last of my Starbucks card for a small Latte. Christmas at home with the cats. That's fine with me.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

Forget that Xmas silent night thing. Xmas is the time of the year we get stuff. You can sit at home, clicking away and ordering gifts. What fun is that? You need to get out and elbow people out of your way to a bargain, it's Xmas!!!!! And what's Xmas if you can't gripe about the crowds, and how rude they are. And when you spot a bargain, you pounce on it like a lion taking down an elk. Crowds, sales. That's the true meaning of Xmas.

 

[hearlady]

They say 1/2 the country now shops online... well looking at today in Oxford street London , you wouldn't think so...

Trafalgar square...

and below is Smithfield meat market..

this is Westfield Mall in London.. I've posted photos of this on here before when I've been shopping...

No thanks!

 

[hollydolly]

More shopping today...

regent street London

Marks & Spencers Food hall

 

[oldman]

I went to the grocery store with my wife and even the traffic was light. Not much going on around here.

 

[oscash]

I'm afraid the true meaning of Christmas has gone out of control. I was watching a liquor store with all the people coming out with trolleys full of beer and spirits. It must cost them a fortune. Trolleys coming out of stores overflowing with groceries. One would think there was a food shortage and people were stocking up for a year. I'm glad I grew up in the simple times where families went to midnight Mass and then a lovely lunch and only two presents each for the children.

 

[Remy]

That's just crazy. Our mall is pretty dismal with empty stores. At least last time I was there. Haven't been in years. Traffic was not as bad as I thought it might be but Safeway food store was slamming.

 

[hollydolly]

After seeing these photos ...can you believe this report in the papers today ?

The number of people hitting the high streets on Christmas Eve to grab last-minute bargains has dropped to the lowest level in four years, figures have revealed.

Between Sunday trading hours and the cost of living crisis, the number of in-person shoppers has slumped across all types of stores this year.

Footfall across all UK retail destinations up to 5pm on Sunday was 6.8 per cent lower than last week, and 20.6 per cent lower than December 24 2022, data from industry analyst MRI Software shows.

The data showed footfall remains at least a third lower than 2019 levels, with a number of factors contributing including Sunday trading hours this year and the cost of living crisis.

Six thousand shops have closed down in Britain in the last five years, with the North-East of England worst affected.

The pandemic has often been blamed for the fall of the British High Street - which was already in a state of decline as shoppers increasingly turned to online fast fashion.

Families are prioritising festive food and drink this year and there is less demand for expensive items like jewellery, watches, tech and electricals - despite many stores slashing prices to tackle the decline.