Swindon businesses say the lack of shops in the town centre are severely impacting their festive trade, while others say it has been one of their busiest times.
The Adver have been speaking to businesses about how they expect their footfall to change over the festive period.
Some said they have seen "a rush in recent weeks" while others claim there is not enough shops in the town centre attracting shoppers to visit.
It comes after over the latest weekend (December 13 to 14) footfall reportedly rose 4.4 per cent week-on-week, according to Sensormatic's ShopperTrak Analytics data that captures 40 billion store visits globally each year.
Shopper counts across last week also increased steadily, rising 3.6 per cent on the week before.
Mark Blaylock, who runs Blaylocks shoe shop in Swindon, said that there has been very little footfall into his shop.
"We are in Old Town. There are just not enough shops for people to come up here.
"People just aren't spending money in shops anymore. After Christmas, we might pick up with our sale," he said.
Manjit Lalli, the owner of Blues Cafe in Swindon, said that while they have their regular customers, there is a problem with footfall in the town centre.
He blamed the closure of several big shops in the town centre for this.
"What is there really to come into town for?" he said.
He mooted the idea of offering people an hour free parking to incentivise them to come into town - he thinks the cost also puts people off.
Other businesses were more positive.
The Emporium of Loveliness is a charity shop located in The Parade.
Jo Heaven, the owner, said they have seen a notable increase in footfall over the Christmas period.
"People are definitely looking for cheaper alternatives at Christmas," she said.
"We sell unusual, quirky things - people buy them for Christmas presents. We have a rush over the last few days before Christmas, if gifts haven't been delivered to people by post."
The Flower Pot in Old Town is another business which benefits from holiday rush, having only opened in 2025.
Jane Hart, who helps out in the shop, said that people come in to buy Christmas bouquets and wreaths.
"Over the Christmas period, we are very busy," she said.
The Incredible Comic Shop can be found in the Brunel Centre, and prides itself on being 'Swindon's only comic book store'.
It stocks American-imported graphic novels and comic books, t-shirts, hoodies, action figures, card and board games and much more.
The owner of the shop, Jonathan Brown, said that the shop has been much busier in the run up to Christmas with a "massive" increase in shoppers.