Hamleys turns on lights

Legendary toy store Hamleys flicked the switch on its stunning festive shopfront on Sunday, as Regent Street was lit up for the festive shopping period. Retailers are hoping to reverse a six-year trend towards last-minute seasonal shopping. Many launched Christmas promotional campaigns early and marketing impact is expected to be a key contributor to success this year. SPSL customer footfall expert Tim Denison forecast that shopper numbers would be slightly up - 0.5 per cent on last year - helped by marketing and price campaigns. According to another monitor, FootFall, many goods are now cheaper than 10 years ago, making this a shoppers' Christmas.