SHOPPING centres across Scotland had their busiest weekend of the year raking in hundreds millions of pounds as people bought high-end items on the last stretch in the run up to Christmas.
Precincts and malls up and down the country reported a rush in the aisles for luxury goods including jewellery and expensive fragrances as well as computer games while restaurants also reported a weekend boost.
Buchanan Galleries was a focus for shoppers in Glasgow, with many heading there to escape the torrential rain yesterday (sun). Edinburgh's city centre Christmas Market was packed with visitors and at Leith's Ocean Terminal "people were buying up anything to do with Christmas".
At Braehead, near Glasgow, some stores had already been offering sale-style discounts and many shoppers had taken advantage of shops' midnight opening hours.
General manager Gary Turnbull said: "There have been huge crowds of people dashing through the mall over the past few days.
"We've just had the busiest weekend for shopping this year.
"Santa seems to have come early for shoppers this year, as many stores have already gone into sale and there are some fantastic bargains to be had. People are very shopping savvy and they're taking advantage of these discounts."
"The feedback I've been getting suggests people seem to be spending more on Christmas gifts this year, especially on luxury items like jewellery and expensive fragrances.
"These types of stores are doing great business, but to be fair, all our stores are doing well."
There was steady flow of people over the two days as £1.2bn was spent in the UK on Saturday alone and spokesman at Princes Mall on Princes Street in the Scottish capital said on Sunday that Saturday had been the busiest of the two days.
He said: "We still had the crowds."
Kathy Murdoch, centre manager at Buchanan Galleries, said: "The last shopping weekend before Christmas has been very busy throughout Saturday and Sunday.
"Online orders are no longer guaranteed for delivery before Christmas so shoppers visited to purchase gifts in person.
"Top buys in the days remaining before Christmas include anything from our Lego store, gadgets and tableware from Lakeland and jewellery. The Entertainer has also seen Christmas favourites fly off the shelves."
Liam Smith, manager at Fort Kinnaird in Edinburgh said staff "always expect to be mobbed the weekend before Christmas".
He said: "Our stores are well prepared to welcome extra customers and make sure they can go home having ticked all the items off their Christmas shopping lists."
Glasgow Fort manager Phil Goodman said more than 150,000 had poured through the doors on Sunday.
He added: "Our midnight opening hours have proven extremely popular once again and there has been a real buzz throughout the days and nights this week.
"Our busiest period is after 6pm. This has really been supported by our restaurants and cinema which have helped make the Christmas shopping a fun and sociable trip out."
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