英国节礼日(Boxing Day)购物客流减少
The number of bargain hunters visiting the Boxing Day sales in the UK is likely to have fallen this year, marking a further shift away from bricks-and-mortar stores towards internet transactions.
今年，英国在节礼日(Boxing Day)当天四处寻找便宜货的购物者人数可能有所下滑，这标志着消费者进一步从实体店购物转向互联网购物。
While footfall declined, a growing number of shoppers went online on Monday. By midday, transactions were 11.5 per cent higher than the same period in 2015, according to Springboard, a retail consultancy.
在实体店客流量下滑的同时，周一在网上购物的消费者人数有所增加。根据零售业咨询公司Springboard的数据显示，截至当天中午，网上交易量较2015年同期增长了11.5%。
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said that the reduction in footfall, which at midday on Boxing day was 6 per cent lower than a year earlier, was a concern to retailers even though it was likely to be offset by the growth in internet sales.
Springboard调研总监迪亚娜.韦莱(Diane Wehrle)表示，截至节礼日当天中午，实体店的客流量较上一年同期减少了6%，这一趋势值得零售商关注，即使这可能被网上销量增长抵消。
She said: “Some retailers do really well from the move to online but ultimately they need people to visit their stores which are a huge fixed cost.”
她称：“一些零售商在向互联网转型方面做得确实很好，但他们终究需要人们光顾实体店，因为实体店固定成本很高。”
The figures showed big regional variations, with relatively strong performances from London and the north of England. In central London, the New West End Company, which represents more than 600 retailers across 25 West End streets said that average footfall was up 5 per cent by mid-afternoon on Boxing Day compared with the previous year.
数字显示出不同地区之间存在很大差别，伦敦和英格兰北部的表现相对强劲。在伦敦市中心，代表伦敦西区25条街道逾600家零售商的新西区公司(New West End Company)表示，截至下午三点左右，平均客流量较上一年增加了5%。
Jace Tyrrell, chief executive of New West End Company, said that prices had been slashed by up to 80 per cent, with particularly big discounts on high fashion items.
新西区公司行政总裁贾斯.泰瑞尔(Jace Tyrrell)表示，有的商品才两折，时尚商品的折扣幅度很大。
He said the “very strong” sales in the West End was partly driven by the decision of more retailers to open, including Bond Street shops. The fall in sterling had also increased demand, as international customers account for a third of sales.
他说，伦敦西区销售业绩“非常强劲”，部分原因在于更多零售商户在当天开门迎客，包括邦德街(Bond Street)的商店。英镑贬值也提升了需求，国际顾客占到了总销售额的三分之一。
West End shops were expected to report sales of ￡55m for the day, he said. Chinese shoppers were making a significant contribution, spending five times more than UK shoppers.
他说，当天伦敦西区商店的销售额预计会达到5500万英镑。中国顾客做出了很大贡献，购物金额是英国顾客的5倍。
