Shoppers rushing to buy last-minute Christmas presents were expected to give the High Street a “Super Saturday” boost worth billions today.

Retailers were expecting one of the busiest trading days of the year followed by a bumper day of business on Sunday to boot.

One retail voucher company estimated 38 million shoppers would hit the High Street spending £3.31billion in store and online over the weekend up by 15% on last year.

The firm expects £1.76bn in sales today followed by £1.55bn spent tomorrow.

Anita Naik, of VoucherCodes.co.uk, which released the figures, said: “This year has been tough for retailers. They will be glad to hear there’s going to be one more flurry of sales before the end of the year.

“While many people will be limiting what they buy this Christmas in response to the cost of living crisis, the money they do have will be put into making this Christmas one to remember.”

As well as gifts for loved ones shoppers were splashing out on luxury foods with sales at one firm up by as much as 900 per cent this Christmas.

Lincolnshire-based Christmas hamper specialists IMP & Maker which offers luxury wicker hampers costing up to £2000 reported demand for its top-end range up nine-fold on last year.

The company was crowned purveyors of the UK’s finest Christmas hamper at the Good Housekeeping Awards, beating top store Fortnum and Mason.

Founder Sarah Louise Fairburn said: “This Christmas, big is most definitely better. Our clients have decided to celebrate in extravagant style and bring friends and family together to feast on the best possible array of delicacies.”

“With sales at this level it looks as if hampers are well and truly on Christmas shopping lists.”

The positive forecasts matched earlier predictions from GlobalData who believe retail spending in the last three months of the year will hit £110billion, up 3.4% on the year before.

Official figures released yesterday also showed encouraging signs the retail sector was enjoying a strong finish to the year.

Sales growth more than tripled expectations as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that volumes increased by 1.3% in November.

It was ahead of the predictions of economists who had forecast just 0.4% growth for the month.

The ONS also revised its data for October upwards, reporting that there was zero growth in retail sales after previously estimating a fall of 0.3%.

ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan said: “Retail sales grew strongly in November as heavy Black Friday discounting encouraged shoppers to spend.

“However, with the three-month trend continuing to fall and overall sales still below pre-pandemic levels, it’s still a challenging time for retailers.

“In the latest month, household goods retailers, clothing shops and department stores all reported robust sales, with computer stores, sports equipment, toy shops and cosmetics stores particularly benefitting from the impact of their Black Friday promotions.”

The data revealed that sales volumes at non-food stores, which include clothing and department stores, rose by 2.3% in November, increased from 0.2% in October.

Retailers said this was supported during the month by earlier Black Friday sales and sharp discounts to price as shops sought to attract more shoppers.

Households goods stores were among the strongest performers, with 3.5% growth, amid strong demand for furniture.
Meanwhile, food shops saw volumes increase by 0.8% for the month.

Supermarkets saw modest growth of 0.1%, with specialist food shops, such as butchers and bakers, reporting a very strong month, with growth of 8.5%, due to earlier Christmas shopping.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Many retailers tried to give sales a needed boost in November by starting their Black Friday sales even earlier this year.

“Cosmetics and toiletries had another strong month as consumers continued to splurge on smaller indulgences.

“Retailers anticipate that consumers will be making a last-minute dash to their favourite stores in the final days leading up to Christmas.”

A note of caution was sounded by Santander for shoppers to watch out for scams over the Christmas period as fraudsters take advantage of increased spending by consumers.

The bank said two customers made claims on Christmas Day 2022 after falling victim to the family and friends WhatsApp impersonation scam.

On Boxing Day, claims were made for various purchases including cars and games consoles, as well as people reporting ticket scams related to football.

WhatsApp impersonation scams involve criminals impersonating people that message recipients know and trust, including family members. They may send a message pretending to be a loved one, leading the conversation towards an urgent appeal for help and a need to transfer money.

Chris Ainsley, head of fraud risk management at Santander, said: “Christmas should be the most wonderful time of the year but unfortunately there are criminals out there trying to be the Grinch who stole Christmas.

“As people enjoy the festivities with loved ones, they should remain guarded against the usual scams that criminals attempt all year round.

“Whether shopping online with some Christmas money or getting offered tickets to sold-out football games on Boxing Day, people should think carefully before handing over any money and remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”