Big spending shopping bonanza (From Western Telegraph)

Big spending shopping bonanza

BIG-SPENDING shoppers have been on a Christmas spending spree the like of which local supermarkets have never seen before.

Many local traders believe the aftermath of September 11th and the war in Afghanistan have prompted a live for today philosophy which has triggered the yuletide bonanza.

Tescos Haverfordwest manager Andrew Woolfenden summed up when he told the Western Telegraph: It has been fantastic. We have had a superb Christmas trade and takings are up about 11% on last year.

During the last three weeks customers have been having a big spend and we have taken on about 35 additional staff, mainly for check-out duties and seasonal sales where you need more hands.

I dont know whether the threat of economic slow-down has affected people or whether after the September 11th tragedy people are living more for today, but they are certainly being more liberal in their spending. Marley Davies of Victoria Bookshop said the spending bonanza had been late coming but happened in the five-day run-up to Christmas.

We started the year with foot and mouth and nobody spending, he said. Then the terrorist scares stopped people flying and perhaps they found they now had more money to spend because they missed their usual holidays abroad.

I know local people who have flown to New York for a few days for their Christmas shopping, but they havent done it this year. We may have benefited from all this locally.

The manager of Safeway, Haverfordwest, commented: We have been exceptionally busy and we are extremely pleased with the stores performance this Christmas.

Haverfordwest town centre manager, Gordon Doughty, said: Everyone has had a wonderful time. Among the comments made to me has been Its been the best Christmas ever in terms of takings.

I have not heard anyone say they have had a poor time.

In contrast to the Christmas boom elsewhere, Haverford-wests Riverside Quay Co-Op prepared for closure this Friday because of declining sales.