When it comes to Christmas sales, it's tempting to get online and beat the rush by shopping from the comfort of your own home. However, there are still many of us who like the thrill of the chase in person and choose to head out in the wild to brave the sales.
It's been a difficult Christmas period for retail with a cost of living crisis and also the postal strikes which meant huge delays for those choosing to send gifts to loved ones. This hasn't slowed the crowds down, however, as lots of shoppers take to the streets to find the best bargains available.
Predictably, the big brands are busy with many queueing in the early hours for the Next sale. However, independent shops across Nottingham city centre say business has been steady despite the cost of living - and they point out postal strikes have increased footfall in shops over online shopping.
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Bridlesmith Gate is busy with shoppers with many stopping to take in the colourful murals. While there are many brand-name shops such as Jack Wills and Waterstones here, the street is now home to some of Nottingham's best independent gems, Stick and Ribbon, Relik X Hooked and 101 Vintage.
Kirsty Hole, co-owner of 101 Vintage, said it has been busier as it is the store's second Christmas in its bright orange, eye-catching shop. The store has a steady stream of customers who are keen to find a special item. The shop specialises in USA-sourced, vintage pieces.
"For us, it's been slightly busier and this is our second Christmas here. I'm hoping that is down to people knowing we are here rather than us being new to the street," Kirsty said.
"Cost of living did slow things down but then it last few weeks before Christmas, it was really strong for us. We had a lot of new customers and regulars here. We are conscious of how we price things which has helped and the element of what we sell makes a difference with being sustainable rather than fast fashion.
"People want things to last if they spend their money. They don't want to have to keep spending it again," she added.
Niamh Shapcott is a student working at Braderie Vintage which is on the corner of Pelham Street near Pit and Pendulum bar. She said that while this is her first Christmas in the store, retail in general has been busy one minute but quiet the next.
"I've only been here this year but what I've heard is that the footfall has been a bit lower. That's in other shops, too, not just us so it seems to be a problem everywhere," she said.
"I don't know if that's down to Covid or not but the cost of living has definitely had an effect. We had a really busy Christmas Eve but we attributed that to the Royal Mail strikes as people didn't want to buy online and get things delivered. It's been crazy and unpredictable."
The streets are busy with shoppers heading into Hockley with cafes like Spud and Broadway full at lunchtime. It's clear that visitors haven't had enough of the Christmas Market yet as there is still a buzz around the stalls and big wheel.
Sam Hamling is the manager of Ice Nine in Hockley. She said that it's been unpredictably quiet one minute then busy the next. The shop has been a feature of Hockley for the past 43 years selling everything from incense to clothes to jewellery.
The shop has established itself on the high street and has a strong loyal customer base. This has meant that the shop is able to compete with bigger brands offering large discounts on the seasonal stock.
"It's been fairly quiet but we have had a couple of busy days. It's been busy one minute then quiet the next although Christmas Eve was a bit quieter than we would have hoped. We are hoping that this week should continue being quite busy for us," she said.
"There is no pressure on us to keep up with the brands as so many of our customers are loyal regulars who know we don't do sales. We carry such a variety of stock and we choose it carefully so we don't have excess hanging around that we need to reduce.
"We do change things seasonally and we try to keep up with fashion. But there is a core stock that we have all the time," she added.
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