“I’ve got plans for Christmas, I don’t even have the money yet!”

Bournemouth residents have voiced their concerns about the cost of living crisis as the festive period approaches.
Shoppers and retailers in the Bournemouth town centre have expressed their concerns ahead of the Christmas period, with the cost of gifts and food having once again increased this year.

Sally and Liz, 59 and 60, met at Bournemouth University 40 years ago, and said that they still continue to work because of the ever-increasing cost of living.

“Even though we’ve cut down on work because we’re a certain age, we still have to save, we can’t stop working because the bills are so high.

It’s got worse, it is going to get worse.”

The town centre has seen many shops close and earlier this year vacancy rates in the town centre were at 15.5%.

Many popular retailers such as Zara, Claires and Holland and Barrett have all closed their doors over the past year, with no new shops coming in to replace those units.

Femi, 49, works as a busker in Bournemouth and Portsmouth, and spoke about how the cost of living is directly affecting his work.

He said: “I am a little bit concerned about the future because it might get to a level where people are so broke that they can’t even spare a pound or two.”

“(On Christmas) It is going to be a lot tougher. I have got plans for Christmas but I don’t have the money yet!”

Brian has worked at Deichmann in Bournemouth town centre for 4 years, and criticised the BCP council for not taking enough action to help both shoppers and retailers in the town centre.

“Town centre’s are dying. We have had to drop staffing levels. When I first started here, we had 4 or 5 of us on shift, now there is 2.

“Christmas hasn’t really kicked off yet. Hopefully it will get busier when the Christmas market opens.”

Neroli works at Lush, and also spoke about the decrease in business over the last year: “I have definitely seen a change in customers spending money over the last year.”

The town definitely feels a lot quieter and there are so many closed shops on the high street.”

The cost of living crisis refers to the price of everyday goods increasing more than the average household income, and has been an issue in the UK since late 2021.

Common Christmas gifts have become even more expensive, with the average price of Nike trainers rising from £82 in 2020, to £110 in 2026.

With the cost of living across the country at a high, many are left struggling with the anxiety felt by local residents as Christmas approaches.