A spokesperson from the General Retailers and Traders Union said that unofficial figures show healthy sales for Sliema and Paola.
The spokesperson also said that there have been strong sales in Sliema, and that Valletta continues to be a problem due to accessibility and parking.
A spokesperson from the Merchants’ Street Business Community Association also cited the same problems with regard to sales in Valletta, and also added that sales have gone down compared to last year according to feedback.
The MSBCA spokesperson said that Sliema sales have been at par with 2014 December sales, and that Fgura and Birkirkara figures have gone up.
Both spokespersons said that road works and other construction posed a problem for Sliema sales on particular days.
On one particular day, said the MSBCA spokesperson, the queue to enter Sliema from Gzira by car was taking 1.5 hours, and that people became frustrated and turned back home.
The spokesperson continued by saying in the case of Fgura, because parking is not such an issue as is the case with Sliema and Valletta, this makes all the difference.
Costume jewellery and IT related products such as IPads and IPhones were the most sold according to the GRTU spokesperson. Confectionery have also done very well, it was said.
Turning to online shopping, the spokesperson said that the percentage of Maltese making use of this service has continued to increase. Collaboration among shop-owners in order to improve their service as a way of increasing competitiveness was suggested, the GRTU spokesperson said.
Several figures have shown that Malta’s economy has been performing strongly in 2015, including a Eurobarometer where it was found that many of the respondents were upbeat about the local economy.
Official figures by the GRTU for December sales are set to be published in the second week of January, where the effect of low unemployment and a growing economy are expected to be shown through high sales.
The threat online shopping poses however is likely to have a big impact.