英國節禮日(Boxing Day)購物客流減少
The number of bargain hunters visiting the Boxing Day sales in the UK is likely to have fallen this year, marking a further shift away from bricks-and-Mortar stores towards internet transactions.
今年，英國在節禮日(Boxing Day)當天四處尋找便宜貨的購物者人數可能有所下滑，這標誌着消費者進一步從實體店購物轉向互聯網購物。
While footfall declined, a growing number of shoppers went online on Monday. By midday, transactions were 11.5 per cent higher than the same period in 2015, according to Springboard, a retail consultancy.
在實體店客流量下滑的同時，週一在網上購物的消費者人數有所增加。根據零售業諮詢公司Springboard的數據顯示，截至當天中午，網上交易量較2015年同期增長了11.5%。
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said that the reduction in footfall, which at midday on Boxing day was 6 per cent lower than a year earlier, was a concern to retailers even though it was likely to be offset by the growth in internet sales.
Springboard調研總監迪亞娜.韋萊(Diane Wehrle)表示，截至節禮日當天中午，實體店的客流量較上一年同期減少了6%，這一趨勢值得零售商關注，即使這可能被網上銷量增長抵消。
She said: “Some retailers do really well from the move to online but ultimately they need people to visit their stores which are a huge fixed cost.”
她稱：“一些零售商在向互聯網轉型方面做得確實很好，但他們終究需要人們光顧實體店，因爲實體店固定成本很高。”
The figures showed big regional variations, with relatively strong performances from London and the north of England. In central London, the New West End Company, which represents more than 600 retailers across 25 West End streets said that average footfall was up 5 per cent by mid-afternoon on Boxing Day compared with the previous year.
數字顯示出不同地區之間存在很大差別，倫敦和英格蘭北部的表現相對強勁。在倫敦市中心，代表倫敦西區25條街道逾600家零售商的新西區公司(New West End Company)表示，截至下午三點左右，平均客流量較上一年增加了5%。
Jace Tyrrell, chief executive of New West End Company, said that prices had been slashed by up to 80 per cent, with particularly big discounts on high fashion items.
新西區公司行政總裁賈斯.泰瑞爾(Jace Tyrrell)表示，有的商品才兩折，時尚商品的折扣幅度很大。
He said the “very strong” sales in the West End was partly driven by the decision of more retailers to open, including Bond Street shops. The fall in sterling had also increased demand, as international customers account for a third of sales.
他說，倫敦西區銷售業績“非常強勁”，部分原因在於更多零售商戶在當天開門迎客，包括邦德街(Bond Street)的商店。英鎊貶值也提升了需求，國際顧客佔到了總銷售額的三分之一。
West End shops were expected to report sales of ￡55m for the day, he said. Chinese shoppers were making a significant contribution, spending five times more than UK shoppers.
他說，當天倫敦西區商店的銷售額預計會達到5500萬英鎊。中國顧客做出了很大貢獻，購物金額是英國顧客的5倍。
