WHILE some retailers reported a dip in sales following the Black Friday rush a leading North-East shopping centre has reported brisk trading.

John Lewis enjoyed its biggest ever sales week up to Saturday November 30, when British shoppers took advantage of the deals offered by retailers as they imported the tradition of large discounts on the day after Thanksgiving in the US to the UK.

But this week John Lewis reported a dip as weekly sales fell 5.8 per cent, compared with the week earlier. Sales of electricals and home technology products fell 4 per cent year on year as sales in this category peaked in the Black Friday week to the end of November.

Peter Drabble, manager at Hillstreet in Middlesbrough said footfall at the shopping centre showed no signs of a Black Friday hangover. He said: “November was a busy month at Hillstreet with our customers taking full advantage of the Black Friday discounts. The first two weeks of December have been even busier with people stocking up on Christmas gifts as they gear up for the big day. Many of our retailers have reported an uplift in sales and we anticipate this to continue right the way up to Christmas. We are expecting to see in excess of 1.2 million people through our doors during December.

“We have a fantastic selection of retailers and there is so much more for customers to enjoy at Hillstreet this festive season, including the Teesside Hospice Tree of Life and Santa’s Grotto. We’ve also extended our opening hours throughout December to ensure that Christmas shopping is as stress free as possible for shoppers.”