Hit or Miss... Christmas shopping boost

The New West End Company sought to lure consumers to central London on Saturday by closing Oxford Street and Regent Street to traffic. The occasion was dubbed 'Shop West End VIP' (Very Important Pedestrians) and was promoted by Rain Communications. An estimated one million shoppers turned out - 'Ban boosts business for West End,' ran the Evening Standard's headline. A welcome tonic for retailers who are otherwise worried about analysts' gloomy predictions on consumer spend.