European Christmas holiday spending is likely to be stronger this year than in 2012, according to a survey of shopping centre industry executives carried out by ICSC.
European Christmas holiday spending is likely to be stronger this year than in 2012, according to a survey of shopping centre industry executives carried out by ICSC.
The survey, which was carried out between 16 and 31 October, found that 71% of respondents anticipate that the 2013 holiday season will be better than last year, with almost a fifth predicting sales will markedly outperform 2012.
A further 29% think that the festive period will be on a par with last year. Not one respondent believes there will be a year-on-year decline in Christmas sales.
Sarah Banfield, ICSC senior research analyst, observed: ‘The results of this poll are good news for year-end performance and also reflect a renewed optimism for the future of the European shopping centre market in 2014 as European economies continue on their slow path to recovery.’
The survey further found that industry expectations for business activity over the next six months were up markedly in October compared with the previous year.
