Shopper numbers fall ahead of Christmas

LONDON (Reuters) - Shopper numbers fell as much as 9 percent this week compared with a year ago, leaving stores with all to play for in the final crucial weekend before Christmas.

The Retail Footfall Index released on Friday showed shopper traffic rose slightly on Monday, up 1.3 percent, compared with a year ago, but then fell 5.9 percent on Tuesday and 8.7 percent on Wednesday.

Preliminary figures show footfall also fell on Thursday.

The sluggish footfall figures contrast with signs that online sales have reached a new record this year, indicating the Internet is gaining at the High Street's expense.

But with online deadlines passing, analysts predict High Street stores will be the focus of consumer spending this weekend.

The British Retail Consortium forecasts a modest 3 percent rise in like-for-like sales during the festive period.