Festive retail sales struggle as Britons spend more on going out and holidays

Christmas parties, Netflix and cinema releases such as Wonka attract spending in December

The crucial pre-Christmas shopping period failed to be a gift for retailers, as consumers reined in spending on presents, preferring instead to spend their money on going out, according to the latest surveys.

Christmas parties and cinema releases such as Wonka spurred spending in December, while the yuletide shopping frenzy “fizzled”, according to Barclays spending figures.