Glimmer of Hope for U.K. Stores as Data Point to Shopping Surge

(Bloomberg) --

Many of England’s retailers threw open their doors to customers for the first time since March, letting the country reignite its love affair with shopping.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had encouraged consumers to go out and “shop with confidence,” and it appears that they did. From main streets to malls, Britons piled back into stores, with the number visiting big-box chains at retail parks in the north of the country approaching last year’s levels, data compiled by Springboard show.

Still, numbers for most stores remain well below where they were at the same time last year.

Subway Trips

There were more than 163,600 on London’s subway by 10 a.m., up 17% from the same period last Monday, according to Transport for London, which manages the city’s transit system. The increase occurred mainly after 9 a.m., as customers traveled later to avoid peak commuting hours.

Primark’s Popularity

Posts on social media showed large queues forming outside budget retailer Primark’s stores before they reopened. Web searches for the retailer, which doesn’t sell online, rose strongly in the previous week, peaking before shoppers were finally welcomed back inside, according to Google Trends.

Shoppers in England Return to Stores After Coronavirus Pause

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