Total retail spend in Newmarket this Christmas is up on last year and the trend is likely to continue through the Christmas period.

The Newmarket Business Association kicked off Christmas in Newmarket with its inaugural ChristmasFest on November 22. Total sales across the precinct on the day reached $2.3 million, up three per cent on a similar event in 2013, according to Paymark data from Market View.

“Many retailers are reporting increases on last year for the Christmas period, which is very pleasing,” Newmarket Business Association CEO, Mark Knoff-Thomas, said.

“We are having sustained periods of positive growth quarter on quarter. Looking around the precinct during the Christmas build-up it has been seriously busy. We have seen queues forming outside stores.”