Thanks, Mick! Merry Christmas is ruined for businesses as rail strikes crush retailers and experts warn walkouts will cause £1.5BILLION hit to festive sales

• Businesses hoping for first normal Christmas in years left infuriated by strikes 
• Industry experts have warned industrial action will cause £1.5bn hit to sales 
• RMT action will devastate retailers and Royal Mail strikes are also crippling firms 

Rail strikes have crushed retailers’ hopes of a merry Christmas as ‘selfish’ unions cost shops, pubs and restaurants billions in sales.

The Centre for Retail Research said there would be a £1.5billion hit to sales in store and online in the run up to Christmas because of rail and postal strikes, with a further £850million lost during the January sales.

Meanwhile UK Hospitality, which represents pubs, bars and restaurants, forecasts a further £1.5billion blow from the RMT’s action alone in December and January.  

It warned the disruption is hurting ‘businesses, their workers and their customers’.

Yesterday was the worst day yet for transport strikes, with rail workers from the RMT and Aslef unions walking out along with Unite members working on buses in London and National Highways workers in the North 

Retailers have urged customers to buy presents in store rather than online as deliveries may not arrive in time because of the strikes 

Yesterday was the worst day yet for transport strikes, with rail workers from the RMT and Aslef unions walking out along with Unite members working on buses in London and National Highways workers in the North. More services were affected than any other day so far this month. 

The Communication Workers Union’s Royal Mail staff have also been striking, meaning yesterday was the Christmas postage deadline for First Class mail – the earliest in the service’s history.

Retailers have urged customers to buy presents in store rather than online as deliveries may not arrive in time because of the strikes.

And the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has joined chains in encouraging shoppers to do so.

But figures showed a 37 per cent drop in footfall across high streets yesterday, as strikes caused shoppers to cancel trips into towns and city centres. 

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics showed sales volumes fell 0.3 per cent in November, despite a boost from Black Friday, highlighting the impact of this and the cost of living squeeze on consumers 

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics showed sales volumes fell 0.3 per cent in November, despite a boost from Black Friday, highlighting the impact of this and the cost of living squeeze on consumers.

UK Hospitality chief Kate Nicholls said: ‘As well as businesses losing sales, workers are losing out during the most lucrative time of year when they would normally benefit from high demand. All-in-all, yet another disrupted Christmas.’

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