With Christmas a fortnight away, the latest data from FootFall, the market analysts, suggests that consumers continued to ramp up their shopping trips last week, but that less visits were made to the high street than during the same period last year.

On Saturday December 10 there was a 3.1 per cent increase week-on-week in shopping visits. Year-on-year, there was a 2.4 per cent fall.

Natasha Burton, marketing manager at FootFall, said: "These figures show that momentum is being sustained and shopper levels are building steadily for the all important Saturday shop.

"It is true figures are down on 2004, but the gap is closing. Many consumers took advantage of the early offers and discounting, so with two Saturdays to go, and a full week’s shopping in the lead up to the big day they are not yet feeling the pressure to shop in earnest for their final purchases."

Recent data on the high street's health has been mixed, but analysts are broadly discounting claims that this Christmas will be disasterous for retailers.

Last week the British Retail Consortium (BRC) — which has repeatedly given warning of miserable trading conditions — said that November was the best shopping month since March.

Meanwhile, when the CBI claimed that sales fell at their fastest pace for 22 years in November the news left analysts perplexed and markets largely unmoved as the City questioned the findings.

It does seem likely, however, that some retailers will be hit over the Christmas period.

The Sunday Times reported this week how fears of dire Christmas trading at Boots, the high-street chemist, have sparked renewed opposition to the group’s £7 billion merger with Alliance Unichem.

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