Economics
Saving Christmas From Covid Is More Critical for Britain
The U.K. relies more on retail than other big European economies and 20% of consumer spending comes in the last two months of the year.
Household spending increases by 25% as Christmas comes.
Photographer: Chris J. Ratcliffe/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Britain knows Christmas is coming when John Lewis Partnership launches its television ad. Selling the season as a time for acts of charity rather than any particular products, this year’s edition will focus on food poverty and struggling parents.
Yet as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc, it’s the department store chain itself that’s now a window on the festive period in a country that relies more on consumer spending than any of the big European economies.