Prediction for Share Price 2006

XBoxes and Daleks all in short supply
By David Derbyshire, Consumer Affairs Editor

Shoppers are struggling to get hold of many of this year's "must have" electronic presents because of supply problems.

Amazon, the online store, has said it will take four to six weeks to send out a Sony PlayStation Portable games machine, while the new XBox 360 games console will not be available until "early 2006".

The remote-control 12in-tall gold Daleks from Doctor Who are also in short supply in the shops, as are black iPod Nano music players.

The shortages have fuelled some frenzied bidding on the auction website eBay. Xbox 360s are being offered for as much as £750 while Daleks are selling for twice their normal price of £35.

Despite the best efforts of high street stores to woo customers with pre-Christmas sales, the number of visitors over the weekend was down 4.2 per cent on last year, market analyst FootFall said yesterday.

"People are paying a lot more for household bills and petrol and they are not spending so much on credit," a spokesman said. "And if your house price is stagnating you don't feel as wealthy."

However, online retailers reported a record two days of sales as shoppers raced to place orders in time for Christmas.

James Roper, the chief executive of IMRG, the industry body for online retailers, said the weekend had been "absolutely huge".

"One of the biggest factors is that for the first time in five years the retailers have started investing in online shopping services," he said.
"There are far more products for people to buy online and the websites are much better."

Online site eBay said this year was its busiest Christmas on record. High street shops are likely to see an upturn in sales later this week, according to FootFall.

"Once the school holidays start and once the deadlines for internet shopping pass, people go back to the high street," the spokesman said.
"Things will get very busy around Thursday and Friday."