Christmas shopping is increasing – this year too
Trading in the Christmas month is expected to increase by 4 percent from last year. Overall there will be trading at around 58 billion in the last month, according to the latest forecasts from Virke.
This means that every resident in Norway on average will spend just over 11,000 kroner in retail sales in December.
– That is 300 kroner more than in December last year, says Bror William Stende, director of Virke.
Christmas shopping has – with a few exceptions – risen steadily since 1984.
– The development has shown steady growth, not a sudden shopping bonanza this year, believes Stende.
Higher prices
This year’s increase, he explains with higher prices and an extra trading day.
– The volume of retail trade will not go up, we will simply get a little less for our money. The increase is also that we have mroe people, he explains to news station news agency NTB.
Around 58 percent of the Christmas trade turnover is found in specialist firms, where decorations, clothing and gifts are bought for around 6,460 kroner per person.
There are large regional differences in how much you spend on Christmas shopping.
Oslo has the highest sales per capita in December, while Østfold is lowest. But here trade leakage to Sweden takes some of the blame.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
