商家发力，防止圣诞销售滑坡

[aRNoLD]

Stores bid to avoid a Christmas slump
25 November 2004

BEN KENDALL

Shrewd Norfolk shoppers can expect to snap up Christmas bargains as high street stores slash prices to avoid a festive slump.

With 29 shopping days left until December 25 (from Friday), big name stores in Norwich have already staged pre-Christmas promotions offering 20pc discounts to drum up interest.

It is feared low consumer confidence caused by high interest rates, rising petrol prices and stalling house prices could hit sales. But this is good news for customers as sales are brought forward.

Official figures suggest prices are already 1.4pc lower than 2003 as retailers battle it out to avoid a repeat of last year's slow trading. The biggest discounts are available on electronics, clothing and household goods.

Norwich Marks and Spencer and Debenhams stores have already held one-day 'flash sales' offering 20pc off most ranges and more surprise events are rumoured.

WH Smith today held a one-day sale offering 10pc off hundreds of items.

Meanwhile the Jarrold department store has promised it will match whatever its competitors have to offer.

Richard Smith, the store's managing director, said: “There has been a decline in some retail sectors because of falling consumer confidence. But nobody opts out of Christmas and we expect sales to remain buoyant.

“However, there is no doubt increased competition has made Christmas tougher in recent years and because of that consumers can expect to find plenty of bargains.”

“We have already seen Marks and Spencer and Debenhams holding special sale days and I wouldn't be surprised to see others joining in.”

Kate Wood, from Jarrold's marketing department, said the store does not intend to take part in one-off promotions but is confident it can offer customers a good deal. “We aren't running any special Christmas events but do have offers on popular presents such as fragrances and books,” she said.

“We also have a year round price promise that if you find a like for like product in another store we will refund the difference.”

She added that the store believes in traditional values which are dying out in other stores. “We have a Father Christmas and grotto, something which is becoming increasingly rare,” she said.

Marks and Spencer saw hundreds of people attend its one-day spectacular in Norwich on November 11 and the company was pleased with the event's success.

The company refused to comment on claims the firm will hold two more events before Christmas but a spokesman said: “I wouldn't rule it out.”

He added: “We can't reveal our strategy for Christmas and can't say if more events will be held in Norwich. But it is something that is being discussed.

“For us it was a way of kick-starting the Christmas period and bringing more customers through our doors.”

Debenhams ran its two discount days earlier this month. The company has no plans to repeat these events and is instead concentrating on customer service such as offering in-store gift advisers to make Christmas shopping easier.

Woolsworths refused to reveal its forthcoming promotions but said one-day sales are an option. Spokeswoman Nicole Lander said: “We've used flash sales before because customers do like them.

“It's important to have offers to get people into stores. The best bargains this year will be on electrical goods such as DVD players and portable televisions.”

Meanwhile John Lewis is sticking to its policy of holding sales at the end of December and July. It will not be holding one-off sales.

However, the store operates a price match policy and has employed three sales staff to visit all stores within a three-mile radius and bring prices into line.

Marketing manager Paul Rich said: “Christmas is a competitive time but to retailers it is still the golden quarter. When we opened last Sunday sales were 33pc up on last year.”

A recent poll by trade magazine Retail Week showed more than half of consumers will wait for pre-Christmas sales while 20pc will wait until January to buy more expensive items.

Liz Morrell, features editor at Retail Week, said: “The new breed of bargain-savvy Christmas shoppers learnt fast last year and will be expecting similar deals this year.”

[aRNoLD]

• snap up: buy quickly, grab and purchase, 快速抢购
• festive slump: 节日期间的销售滑坡
• staged pre-Christmas promotion: 置备圣诞节前的促销
• drum up: 激起，鼓起（消费者的购买欲望）
• stalling house price: 房屋售价停滞，该句意为“担心由高利息、高油价、房屋售价停滞所引起的消费信心下降，会大大影响销售”
• battle it out: 克服，消除
• offering 20pc off most ranges: 对大多数商品实行八折销售
• price promise that if you find a like for like product in another store we will refund the difference: 一个全年的价格承诺，若消费者在其它店发现类似的价格或商品，则店方补足差价。
• grotto: 一种18世纪的欧洲庭院风格，模仿野生岩洞，该处指Santa's Grotto，即圣诞老人住的地方
• rule it out: 排除可能性
• kick-starting: start something quickly, 快速开始、进行
• one-off sales: occurring once, 仅此一次的
• features editor: 专栏作家、编辑
• bargain-savvy: 精通熟悉讨价还价的