Top sellers include iPods and Bratz Kidz
With retailers on tenterhooks over day-to-day trading, Retail-week.com is interviewing The Mall centre managers during the final week of Christmas shopping.

The fourth report comes from The Mall Luton general manager Brian McFarland.

He said: 'If you want to keep fit, try keeping up with your retailers. That's what you'll have to do to if you want to get near them at this time of year. But it's all part of the Christmas buzz.

Top-selling lines are iPods, the Guinness Book of Records, Bratz Kidz and Games Players - similar to last year, they are still solid sellers. Humour has led book sales, with Terry Wogan's Mustn't Grumble, Chris Moyles' Gospel According To and Peter Kay's Sound of Laughter all doing well.

Popular CDs this year have been by Jay Z and Westlife. Take That CDs were this year's surprise big seller, considering their recent absence from the UK music scene.

There is better value than ever for Christmas shoppers, with 20 out of our 125 stores advertising some sort of Sale. Three-for-two is a common theme.

The weather has a critical impact on business. Being completely undercover - from parking to shopping - is one of our selling points, so a good dose of rain always brings in the crowds. However, looking at the markdowns on fashion, a bit of crisp weather would be good news for woollies, coat, and scarf sales.

The Mall has worked with nearby communities to provide a Giving Tree, where customers can donate presents for needy children. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity. More than 250 gifts, many to the value of£50 or more, have been donated.