by Ben MacDonald

On Monday afternoon, Twitter users in the UK noticed a promotional advert for a character known as Excitable Edgar, with a simple message stating that we shall meet him on Thursday.

Many have predicted that this mysterious, monster-like character will be the main focus for the new John Lewis Christmas advert, usually deemed as the item that kickstarts the Christmas period.

Retailers will be hoping that the public will step out for their shopping this year, with mobile sales continuing to rise.

Analytic data company AppAnnie have released their forecasts over the festive season, with e-commerce continuing to rise. The National Retail Federation predicts online sales will grow 11-14%, and a recent survey from Deloitte shows that 70% of smartphone users are planning to make purchases from their mobile devices this year.

At the beginning of the year, The Guardian shared who were the winners and losers over the 2018 Christmas period, with stores like HMV and Mothercare suffering sharp falls in sales. The former announced just after Christmas Day that they were to enter administration for the second time in a six-year period. Although the music store managed to secure their future, the same cannot be said for Mothercare. The baby and maternity retailer revealed last week that it was to close all of its 79 stores in the UK, with 2,800 jobs to go within the next couple of months.

Shopping centres have taken note of the rise of mobile shopping however. Intu, who own the Braehead Shopping Centre on the outskirts of Glasgow state that through research they aim to give customers the ultimate Christmas experience. The company install ice rinks in their malls as well as Santa’s grottoes to give children a lasting memory of their time in the mall. Festive films and drinks are also on offer for incomers, with intu promising that shoppers will leave with smiles on their faces.