Retail sales were strong over Christmas and on Boxing Day throughout the island, according to the Chamber of SMEs.

While the year as a whole had not met expectations, a strong December boosted commercial forecasts for the end of the year, said the chamber’s CEO, Abigail Mamo.

The 24th broke records, it’s been a really great year- Agenda bookstore staff

“This month has been better than expected so far,” she said yesterday.

“From the 24th, business picked up a lot and this continued through the Boxing Day sales. This trend in retail was seen across all areas of Malta, including the south.”

Her assessment was backed up by reports from shops in Sliema, which reported a strong Christmas, though overall activity remained below pre-COVID levels.

Boxing Day was reported to be especially busy, with crowds flocking to both Sliema and Valletta to take advantage of the sales.

The warm weather has prompted good discounts of winter clothes. Photo: Jonathan Borg

'It's been crazy, we didn't expect so many people'

“It’s been crazy, we didn’t expect so many people,” said Pull & Bear manager Nicole Zavaglia, adding that Boxing Day had been the store’s busiest.

“Footfall is great at the moment as post-Christmas is the best timing for us,” said Janice Borg Vella, manager of the Sliema branch of River Island.

Sales of items such as books have also been doing well, with staff at Agenda Bookstore reporting that “the 24th broke records, it’s been a really great year”.

“Website sales were also very strong,” said staff member Britney Buttigieg.

This situation mirrors Black Friday, when shops reported increased footfall compared to normal traffic this year, without reaching pre-pandemic levels. 

The mini-boom in retail sales also comes on the back of reports of a good recovery in restaurant bookings for Christmas and the New Year. 

Attributing the lacklustre year to consumer uncertainty amid the rising cost of living, Mamo also highlighted a continuation of consumer spending habits seen during the pandemic favouring household items, electronic goods and home attire.

This year’s warm winter has also increased sales of thicker outdoor clothing, with many items discounted during the sales, she added.

While Boxing Day was busy, the rest of the week so far has seen noticeably reduced numbers of shoppers in key retail districts, though the sales have managed to attract weekday shoppers.

“We’re here checking out the sales, looking for presents for birthdays and other things coming up, so, hopefully, we can find some bargains,” said shopper Andy Jones yesterday  in Sliema.

Other areas of the economy aside from retail also did well over the Christmas period. 

“In terms of hospitality and tourism, Valletta took a lot of the work,” said Chamber of SMEs deputy president and hospitality sector specialist Philip Fenech, adding that “the businesses that organised something special did better”.

“New Year’s Eve bookings are looking strong and hotels were busier this Christmas Eve than the last,” he added.

“Hospitality bookings were up across the board when compared to last year and our recovery is moving steadily.”