To lure customers out in the cold weather, marketing bosses put on a challenge to get record numbers of Santa’s skating on ice.
They broke the record, and along with other eye-catching events, sales in the last quarter of the year grew by 6.1% on the previous Christmas.
Retail analyst Susannah Streeter said the figures showed shoppers are “returning to pre-Pandemic habits”.
More people want to try on clothes and shoes before they buy, she said.
“But mostly, people want to have a good time. That’s why we’re seeing Christmas markets growing as a trend as people want to enjoy eating, drinking and socialising, as well as shopping,” she added.
