UK high street footfall drops ahead of busiest shopping weekend of the year

Omicron fears and earlier Christmas shopping dampen festive mood for retailers as some stores bring forward Boxing Day sales

Visits to high streets and shopping centres have fallen ahead of what is traditionally the biggest shopping weekend of the calendar, with a 20% fall in central London footfall on Thursday prompting forecasts of a muted" end to a turbulent year.

Retailers including Harrods and Halfords have brought forward Christmas sales in a bid to entice shoppers, but outlets hoping for a last-minute spending frenzy look set to be out of luck, as fears over the Omicron coronavirus variant keep many at home in the final run-up to Christmas.