Trafford Centre declares record Christmas 2009

The Trafford Centre has reported record-breaking Christmas trade figures - despite the poor weather before the festive period.

The 230-store shopping centre reports that footfall for the 6 weeks to Christmas Day was up 7%, as shoppers braved the cold and snowy weather to get to the Centre. Post-Christmas sales also proved a big draw for consumers, with the week starting Boxing Day showing a 10% increase in footfall on 2008. Said Gordon McKinnon, director of operations: "Our retailers have reported a great Christmas trading period, with a notable surge in footfall taking place in the 4 days leading up to Christmas Eve. "Since Christmas, they've seen a huge demand for sales items - which means they have been able to clear the vast majority of their stock, and make way for the new Spring lines. "The weather before Christmas was troublesome, but it's clear that this didn't deter shoppers from making their Christmas trips to The Trafford Centre. “Our catering business, which includes more than 60 restaurants and cafes, has also reported record figures, making The Trafford Centre once again the highest grossing shopping and leisure centre in the country in terms of customer spend. "It seems that our warm, covered Malls come into their own during inclement weather, and shoppers clearly enjoy the one-stop element of a shopping and leisure centre with the variety of stores and restaurants that we can offer." The period leading up to Christmas saw more than a million people visit the Centre during the peak 7 days. Notes to Editors: * The period covered is from 16th November 2009 (6 weeks to Christmas Day), and the final week of the year. * Santa's Grotto welcomed 13,570 children in 2009, up 17.5% on the previous year.

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