BARGAIN-hungry shoppers have driven Nottingham back up the retail rankings ahead of Christmas – and some are clicking their way to a good deal.
The city has been ranked among the busiest in the country for customers buying online in the wake of a weekend frenzy which began with Black Friday and continued into Cyber Monday.
But the trend is not confined to internet shopping, with stores across the city suggesting special offers have persuaded shoppers to hit the streets and spend.
One store, Supercuts in the Victoria Centre, said it had hit a sales target which it had been trying to reach for six months.
"The town has been absolutely packed full and it's definitely a good sign for the Christmas period," said Supercuts' Tracey Bamford.
"The centre was really busy al weekend and it hasn't really let up. We had a special offer on hair straighteners and we reached a target we'd been trying to hit for six months."
New figures show that Nottingham ranked seventh in the country for internet-based purchases on Black Friday, the retail bargain day imported from the USA.
City residents made 11,281 purchases on the day, with the trend continuing into Cyber Monday – another retail event marking an expected peak on online purchases.
On that day Nottingham shoppers clicked their way to 7,770 online purchases according to figures from Postcode Anywhere, a specialist retail software business.
But city shops say that the trend sparked by Black Friday is being repeated on the high streets.
Heidi Boyle, of the Argento jewellery stores on Bridlesmith Gate and Victoria Centre, said: "We had a fantastic weekend's trade. It was up on the previous year and I think it's the first year people have come on board with the Black Friday frenzy.
"There were lots of retailers who have had great offers on and there has been some really significant footfall. I even did some shopping myself!"
Stores outside the city centre also said that Black Friday weekend had boosted trade. Dave Philbrick, manager of New Basford bike shop Specialised Concept Store, said: "We sold a few more bikes over the weekend even though most of the fuss was in town.
"It was beneficial for us – even if we hadn't made the sale there were more people coming through the door, which is what we're trying to achieve."
The Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), which represents the city's retailers, said the city remained a destination of choice for shoppers.
Jeff Allen, the BID's chairman, said: "It's good news for our members that Nottingham appears in the top ten. Shoppers were clearly keen to snap up some bargains in the city and let's hope that sales continue to be strong in the lead up to Christmas and well into the New Year.
"We have some great shops in the city, with all the major chains represented here as well as lots of brilliant independents so people have lots to choose from. Nottingham is definitely the destination of choice."
Boots said it was also benefiting from the boost which began with Black Friday. A spokesperson for the company said; "We saw some fantastic results over the Black Friday weekend and it was great to see our customers taking advantage of these deals."
Chris Hobson, head of information and representation at East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, added: "Black Friday got its name because the bargains offered massively increased footfall and for many shops drove their books into the black for the year.
"The timing of the event is also a massive kick-start for Christmas shopping and there are many stores which rely on seasonal sales."
