Storm clouds may be gathering over the economy, but Oxford shoppers this week showed a grim determination to spend their way to an affluent Christmas, come what may.

Many retailers, who during November were shivering from a year of weak demand, then found themselves also coping with a slow start to the Christmas season. But at the start of the second week in December, the spending spree took off.

Brendan Hattam, of the Westgate Shopping Centre, said: “Footfall was up 3.7 per cent on last year for the week beginning December 5. How that will translate into turnover we don’t know yet, but of course we are ever hopeful.

“But we have a range of stores here that are attractive in this climate, for example Primark and Poundland.”

He added: “It seems to be the middle market that has been squeezed most. In terms of how people are paying, a lot of customers are using credit cards — but it’s too early to give statistics until afterwards when you can look at the season as a whole.”

His comments fit well with the overall national experience of retailers. Amazon saw its busiest day ever on so-called Cyber Monday — December 5 — and John Lewis last week recorded its highest weekly sales figures in its history at £123m.

At Oxford’s Clarendon Centre, which houses mainstream shops including Zara, Gap, the Perfume Shop and French Connection, spokesman Graham Atkinson said: “There was a slow start to the month but it’s picking up now. Footfall last week was up on the same period last year.”

He added that it was too early to predict turnover or to comment on the methods that people were using to pay for their goods.

According to an online poll by YouGov, 31 per cent of UK shoppers will take on extra debt to fund Christmas this year — with 58 per cent of those taking the waiting out of wanting by putting their present buying on their credit cards, and another 39 per cent running up overdrafts.

Graham Jones, spokesman for Oxford’s High Street Business Association, said: “The surge in sales has come later this year, but of course there was snow last year which caused havoc.

“This year, too, there are even a few independent traders who are offering goods at sale prices even before Christmas — which the chains started doing years ago in order to stop people buying nothing until after the great day.

“We have to accept that the online sales trend is making big inroads into the Oxford retail scene, but there are a lot of areas such as food where you actually need to see items. And with clothes you really need to try before you buy.

“We don’t know how things will turn out but we are hopeful this will be a good year for Oxford retailers.”

And in the week that retail expert and TV presenter Mary Portas said UK city centres were “sick” or “dying”, Mr Jones again said that parking restrictions in Oxford needed reviewing if the city centre was to thrive.

Ms Portas said red tape should be eased to help high streets and parking charges for out-of-town shopping centres should be increased.

Jonathan Reynolds, academic director at Oxford University’s Institute of Retail Management, said: “The problem with making people pay more out of town is that some might see it as a tax on success.”

He added: “Against this surge of Christmas shopping that has come late we should remember total sales between November 2010 and November 2011 are down 1.6 per cent. And even online sales were merely flatlining in that period.

“Oxford was teeming with people last week and more still are expected this weekend which will be critical in terms of finding out how much increased footfall can be translated into actual spending.”

He added: “Amid the doom and gloom there are winners out there — but they are winners at someone else’s expense because the total cake has not increased in size. This makes for far fiercer competition between stores.

“But it’s a tale of two households really — like the story of Scrooge and Tiny Tim: if you’ve lost your job you can’t spend much, but what you spend is likely to be on food. People are determined to treat themselves and push the boat out at Christmas.”

Britons are the fourth most indebted people in the European Union but Mr Reynolds said that there was no evidence yet that the increasing number of credit card transactions necessarily meant a return to increased indebtedness. Many might pay off their whole balance each month and this data would not be forthcoming until the New Year.

Tesco last month recorded a one per cent drop in sales but Mr Reynolds reckons this was due to the resurgence of competitors including Morrisons and Aldi as much as the decreasing consumer spending power and increasing price of food.

He said: “In Germany you see new BMWs outside Aldi because customers don’t care what others think. Here, where you shop is seen as some sort of statement about you. But this might be changing.”

Top sellers this year remain the usual suspects: toys, health and beauty, books and entertainment and electrical and electronic with the new Apple iPhone 4S in pole position to be top seller this Christmas.

Tony Everitt, spokesman for Oxford department store Boswells, said: “We had a late start but a very good weekend. Toys are very strong for us with traditional things such as Lego up there among the winners. Cookware is also doing well.”

And at charity shops sales are encouraging.

Mental health charity Mind, which has a shop in Walton Street, Oxford, said 38 per cent of us have already bought a gift at a charity shop this winter or are planning to do so. And at Oxfam the top seller is a goat! Customers donate £25 for a goat in the Third World, and Oxfam says the gift is perfect for “that special two-legged friend”.

According to customer insight firm Nunwood, the good news is that men plan to spend roughly the same as last year. The bad news is that women expect to spend about eight per cent less. Some say women understand the realities of household budgeting better. Anyway, here’s wishing you a merry Christmas.