Shop till you drop at Christmas!

Gift buyers so far have plumped for everything from quality jewellery to BMX bikes and digital cameras.

But wet weather and lack of parking spaces are being blamed by some businesses struggling to maintain sale levels.

Traders rely on a 'good' Christmas for up to 30 per cent of their annual profits and many are looking for a final, late push by customers.

Electrical retailers Drays, in Western Road, reported a "normal" year. Owner Ian Standley said he was pleased with trade.

"The weather is against us and people are buying what they want and going. They are not hanging around."

He thought people were waiting for the sales, but they were already in a pre-Christmas sale which they were re-launching next Tuesday.

Martin French, of the St Leonards Road jewellers, said trade started slowly but had been very busy this week. People were going for higher priced items, mainly in jewellery, where as previous years it was more inexpensive presents.

At Cottage Cakes on the corner of Sackville Road and Wickham Avenue, co-owner Heather Noble blamed the town's poor parking on an estimated drop in shop takings of 30 per cent in September and October.

She said some mornings the only parking was back at the Clock Tower on West Parade. "Elderly people just can't walk that far."

Although trade picked up in December she said they had never noticed such a dramatic drop in the 16 years they had been in business on the corner.

At Birds Music, Sackville Road, owner Tony Bird said takings were up on last year which he put down to hard work and being competitive.

He said people had been "ripped off" on the internet, finding that anything such as musical or sporting equipment needed to be tried "hands on" before buying.

Traditional toy store, Toyland, in Western Road believed takings were on a par with last year. Andrew Shilstone agreed the weather had been against them, particularly on Wednesday but said the parking issue had been the biggest factor.