High Street Brims With Shoppers as Restaurants Celebrate the Festive Season

British holiday shopping trends: the good, the bright, and the slightly tech‑y

Quick Takeaway

Mastercard’s SpendingPulse shows that UK retail sales (excluding cars) climbed 2.6% year‑on‑year during the first holiday window—November 1 to December 24. The good news? In‑store traffic is back, restaurant bill totals are soaring, and shoppers are still hunting deals.

In‑Person Vibes

A renaissance for the high street! In‑store sales rose 3.5% as people stepped out to shop. Online, however, went the opposite way: -2.8%. Looks like the Brits still enjoy the tactile thrill of a real‑world checkout.

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Food‑ies are on the roll—restaurant spend pushed up 11.4%. Even in a shaky economy, people are willing to fork out for hearty meals and festive gatherings.

Gift‑shop Gratification

Jewellery up 8.3% YoY: glitter is the go‑to choice for holiday presents.
Clothing up 8%: wardrobes got a pre‑party spruce‑up.

Electronics: The Price‑Crawling Champs

Consumers are masters of the discount hunt. While overall electronics sales nudged up by 1.9%, the real magic happened on Cyber Monday—sales leapt 9.2% YoY thanks to deep markdowns.

What the Numbers Say

Natalia Lechmanova, Mastercard’s Europe Senior Economist, summed it up: “The Brits are smart spenders. They’ll click if there’s a good deal, especially on tech gear. Jewellery and clothing are the real gift‑gold, and the increase in restaurant bills shows that post‑pandemic, people value shared moments over empty calories.”