NORTH Berwick High Street has seen a slight reduction in footfall this festive season, the chair of the town’s business association believes.

Susan Oliver, of SO&CO Accessories and co-chair of North Berwick Business Association, told the Courier that businesses across the town had seen a small drop in shopper numbers.

She said that, year-on-year, this had been the first noticeable drop in numbers since the pandemic over the period from October to December.

It was her belief that this was down to poor weather conditions in recent weeks, with people choosing to shop online.

She said: “It’s partially due to the weather and a lot of people have sat in front of the computer [rather than visit High Street]. It’s still OK, quite a bit down on last year as people have been a bit more cautious.

“Hopefully it’s a result of the weather – we will see after New Year. Hopefully it’s not a downward trend.”

And she confirmed that, comparing numbers to 2021 and 2022, it was the “first time since Covid that we have seen a drop”.

She encouraged people still needing Christmas gifts to head down and support local business.

She said: “There are lots of last-minute deals to have, plenty of choice and an all-important service that the independent High Street provides [too].

“We are not getting worried yet, it’s still a good year, but not the same as previous years.”