Nicholas Craig column

Dec 16 2005 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal

From the relentless crowds shopping in our cities, I can well believe leading retailers' optimism about healthier sales this Christmas.

Internet shopping has grown in popularity but has not, as predicted, overtaken the experience of travelling to shops to choose gifts - at least in this region.

I reckon virtual shopping malls will never dent the perennial popularity of wandering around city streets. The North-East is a shop till you drop region. Shopping equals entertainment. It's a good day out. All life is there - Peruvian panpipes, born-again Christians, eco-warriors and the occasional lone bagpiper.

MetroCentre was conceived as a day out - with the family. Go along any Bank Holiday and you'll see how many hundreds of families agree.

The artificiality of it, always warm, dry, with ice cream and sweets every few hundred yards, reminds me of a theme park. People are encouraged to stay and to spend, and make it a real holiday with a visit to MetroLand and the cinema.

Supermarkets are increasingly trying out internet retailing. Tesco is ahead of the game with the number of customers choosing to stay at home to complete grocery shopping.

They may save time and money by doing so, but they can't rummage through the "reduced" shelves for bargains, choose their own carrots, change their mind about tonight's dinner menu, or take advantage of a "three for two" offer.

On the other hand, they aren't pummeled and pushed into submission by professional shoppers who elbow, run their trolley into your heels and always manage to choose the right till queue. Impulse buying is kept to a minimum, no petrol is involved and you can shop at your computer in your dressing gown.

However, donning my Mystic Meg guise, I predict the Web will never wipe out the high street. It's a way of life, which we enjoy, moan at, take for granted and always come back for more.

The Winter Festival in Newcastle is adding an extraordinary new dimension to NewcastleGateshead this year. It's a fantastic idea.

What better way to end a shopping trip than with shooting stars, fireworks and Half Gods, all provided by the Winter Festival?

Computers cannot compete with spectacular street entertainment. Retailers have the edge in being able to reinvent the shopping experience - particularly at Christmas.

Nicholas Craig is a partner at Watson Burton LLP