UK shoppers avoid High Streets and city centres amid fears over Omicron
December 20, 2021, 8:41 am

UK shoppers avoid High Streets and city centres amid fears over Omicron

Christmas market/Pixabay

The BBC reported that UK shoppers chose to avoid High Streets and city centres on the crucial weekend just before Christmas, amid fears over the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

Retail analysis firm Springboard said, the number of people on High Streets fell by 5.9% on Sunday but rose 4.8% at retail parks week-on-week.

Springboard's Diane Wehrle, said consumers were "clearly cautious" about venturing out to the shops.

Another expert said, Shoppers were also making quick "in and out" visits.

Ms Wehrle said, in part, this was due to shoppers trying to get a head start in buying groceries, while also preferring the "Covid friendly" nature of retail parks, as they are in the open air, have large stores and can be easily reached by car.

The Springboard figures also showed that 25.2% fewer people visited UK retail destinations on Sunday, compared to 22 December 2019, the Sunday just before Christmas that year.

The Guardian publishes photo of UK PM at gathering during COVID-19 lockdown

US expert: Christmas travel will increase spread of Omicron variant

COVID biggest daily increase detected in UK, taking the total Omicron cases to 37,101

However, visitor numbers across all UK destinations on Sunday were 33.2% higher than on Sunday 20 December 2020, when the UK entered its third coronavirus lockdown.

On Sunday, Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr that further Covid restrictions for England over Christmas could not be ruled out, due to the rise in new cases.

Source: BBC

Typhoon Ray in the Philippines claims over 208 lives so far Cairo prepares for 2022 celebrations as the Capital of Culture in the Islamic World

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”