Shoppers have taken advantage of a thaw in the icy weather for a last gasp Christmas shopping spree.

After a week of icy temperatures forced many shoppers to stay at home, the break in the weather finally boosted high street retailers.

Shopping centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow have reported a clear rise in footfall, with hopes now high that the coming week will see a final flurry of activity as the countdown to Christmas gets underway.

However some hinted that the rise in numbers is still less than hoped, with suggestions that many shoppers are playing a waiting game in the expectation that stores will lower prices as the clock ticks closer to the big day.

The boost came amid mounting concern among Scottish retailers following poor November sales figures which showed a 1.3 per cent drop on a like-for-like basis compared with the same time last year.

Their expectations of a ‘Black Friday’ boost were also hit, with signs that shoppers had spurned the high street in favour of week-long price reductions offered by online retailers.

Hopes are now pinned on the coming week when a period of settled, milder weather accompanied by the traditional last gasp gift and food dash is expected to fuel sales.

Shopper numbers at The Gyle in Edinburgh were said to have picked up, with the focus now on a last minute rush in the coming week.

Spokeswoman Liz Wood said: “It does look slightly slower than last year, but with a full weekend of shopping left it could be that people are not feeling that same pressure.

“There could also be a bit of a stand-off between shoppers and stores with customers waiting to see when the sales might start.

“Shoppers are very savvy and are expecting last minute bargains. But shops are savvy too, they’re not giving in just yet. It’s almost a case of who will blink first.”

David Lonsdale, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium said: “The weeks leading up to Christmas are the most important trading period in the year for many shopkeepers, especially non-food retailers, with December alone accounting for an eighth of all retail spending in the UK last year.

“With Christmas falling on a Monday its highly likely many shoppers will leave some gift purchases until the last minute.

“This week is set to be particularly busy with gift-related shopping but also toward the end of the week with festive fare purchases. Grocery retailers have spent months making sure they have everything organised for customers, regardless of whether they order online, pre-order, or turn up on the day.

“Last year UK shoppers spent £43 billion in December. In true British fashion we expect the January sales to chiefly begin on Boxing Day.”

Meanwhile shoppers hunting down last minute gifts for children have faced frustration and disappointment with one of the country’s leading toy retailers, The Entertainer, opting to remain closed.

Owner Gary Grant, a devout Christian, refuses to open his 149 branches on a Sunday, preferring to give his 1700 staff a day off. The move is estimated to have cost the business £2m.

At independent toy retailer Toys Galore in Edinburgh’s Morningside shoppers packed the shop hoping to snap up last minute Lego Star Wars and this year’s ‘must have’ toys, Fingerlings and Lol Dolls.

Again there was disappointment: “Fingerlings have been sold out nationwide for ages now,” said spokesman Daniel Murray. “They’re retail value is just £12.50 but they’re selling for around £100 on Amazon.”

For shoppers who struggle to find time to hit the shops, intu Braehead will remain open until midnight every day from today (Monday) until next Saturday. Regional director Peter Beagley said: “We’ve been very busy this weekend as the Christmas shopping season is well and truly underway.

“People can keep up with their favourite soaps on TV in the early evening before nipping out to intu Braehead to do some Christmas shopping.”

However last minute shoppers could be hindered by a traffic nightmare on Friday, as the last of the year’s commuter traffic clashes with the great Christmas getaway.

In what has been dubbed “Frantic Friday”, a perfect storm of shoppers and commuters will be joined by an estimated 1.25m travellers heading to airports, bus and train stations for the journey home for Christmas, says the RAC.

It says the worst hold ups are expected to be between 4pm and 8pm.

The number of cars clogging up UK roads is expected to be higher than normal, thanks to rail engineering work which threatens to disrupt journeys.

The West Coast line will be closed between Preston and Lancaster Christmas Eve and December 27, forcing travellers between London and Glasgow to go via Edinburgh or board replacement buses.

Meanwhile coach operator National Express is running its largest ever Christmas schedule to meet increased demand from key locations including Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is adding nearly 30,000 extra seats to services over the festive period, with Christmas Day bookings up by almost a quarter on last year.