THE jingling of tills have been ringing out across our high streets, as new figures reveal shoppers have been on a spending splurge since lockdown eased.

Shoppers flooded back to town centres with wallets in hand once doors were re-opened again on April 12.

Now, new figures show shoppers across Southend spent a whopping 108 per cent more last week than they did in February 2020.

Echo: Southend High Street, credit: Gaz de VereSouthend High Street, credit: Gaz de Vere

TK Maxx proved the most popular store for customers in the town, the data has revealed.

Up the A127, Basildon saw a surge in footfall of 49 per cent since restrictions eased, placing it fifth in the UK, according to Huq Industries, which publishes economic data.

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Bosses at Toys and Tuck in Queens Road, Southend saw double the footfall it would have seen before the Covid pandemic.

Emma Dadswell, the 29-year-old manager, said: “It was really great. We weren’t full to the rafters, people were able to distance properly.

“We brought in a lot of new products for the return of customers, and moved a few things around the store. That went down really well.”

David Barnes, chair of the Basildon Business Group, said everyone is in a really positive mindset after last week.

“Businesses will bend over backwards for customers, as long as they don’t break the rules and keep apart.”

Banking firm Revolut analysed the data of 4,000 of its customers in Southend between April 12 and 18.

The first day of trading saw even higher levels of spending, with 168 per cent more splurged than the average Monday in February of last year.

Darren Latimer, who owns four food and drink huts and the crazy golf on Southend Pier, which also opened last week, added: “We were overwhelmed with how many people came out last week.

“There were quite a few queues, but we managed to deal with them quite well.

“Everyone was in a jolly mood and really excited to be back on the pier again.”

Echo: The Eastgate Shopping CentreThe Eastgate Shopping Centre

The Eastgate shopping centre in Basildon welcomed shoppers back with open arms.

Manager Ian Clark added: “Since non-essential retail re-opened on April 12 we have enjoyed welcoming back a steady flow of customers.

“Footfall over the first full week compared well with the corresponding week in 2019, and was of course up on the equivalent week in 2020 when the nation was in its first coronavirus lockdown.

“Our retailers say their trading figures have been particularly pleasing in the past ten days, with like-for-like increases in sales.

“Health and beauty retailers have been doing extremely well, with fashion also a big draw at Primark, and Debenhams too attracting many shoppers to its closing down sale.”

The Debenhams store will close by May 15.