IT was Christmas Eve 1992, and Hexham’s retailers were packed full of last minute festive shoppers.

The Robb’s department store on Fore Street was especially busy, as people scoured the aisles for essential gifts.

The last minute surge, reported by the Courant at the time, came despite concerns that Hexham was losing out to Gateshead’s MetroCentre.

Fast forward a quarter of a century and, on the face of it, not much has changed.

The Robb’s department store (now Beales) is still at the heart of Hexham’s retail offering, while the town continues to boast a range of gift shops and other independent stores.

And just as they did in 1992, a fair number of Tynedale residents will make their way to the MetroCentre, a popular destination for shoppers since it opened in 1986.

However, recent decades have seen advancements in technology which have given shoppers many more alternatives to the high street and shopping centres.

Internet sites such as eBay and Amazon have enabled people to buy goods from their computers and mobile phones, with the added luxury of home deliveries.

The number of television shopping channels has increased, while catalogue shopping remains prominent, with national chain Argos continuing to have a presence on Fore Street in Hexham.

So what about the run up to Christmas 2017? Will there still be that last minute rush, especially on Christmas Eve?

Janet Hardy has run The Card Shop in Hexham Market Place for the past 38 years, and is better qualified than many to assess changes in shopping habits.

As well as cards, the shop offers an impressive selection of gifts which are in high demand at this time of year.

Janet said: “I think Hexham will be busy on Christmas Eve, but perhaps not quite busy as it used to be.

“If you go back 30 years, there wasn’t the level of supermarkets and big retailers that we have in Hexham now.

“There are still people who are looking for gifts on Christmas Eve. Some might have left it until the last minute, but equally, there are people who want bits and pieces to complement what they have already bought.”

Janet said Boxing Day was a big one for the town’s traders, with shoppers eyeing up early festive bargains.

She added: “We usually open at 10.30am on Boxing Day and people are waiting to get in. It’s a nice time of year. I enjoy my work and I like to help people find the gifts they are looking for.”

Glynis Allen, manageress at Waterstones book shop on Fore Street, believes the run up to Christmas will be busier in smaller towns such as Hexham than in Newcastle.

She explained: “People come home for Christmas, and there are a lot of people from the Tyne Valley who live and work elsewhere who will be home for Christmas.

“I think people like to be out and about shopping on Christmas Eve. There’s a buzz about it, and nobody ever really finishes their Christmas shopping, even if they are organised and get the majority of it done early.

“My view is that people prefer to shop locally on Christmas Eve. They want to avoid the really busy shopping centres.”

Late night shopping events in Hexham, Prudhoe, Corbridge and Haltwhistle have been successful in generating local trade over the festive period.

Chairwoman of Haltwhistle Chamber of Trade Catherine Davidson said people must use local shops as often as possible.

She said: “Our late night shopping event a few weeks ago was well attended, and it give people a good idea of what our shops had to offer this Christmas. There is plenty of variety here and I think people can find some nice gifts on the doorstep in the run up to Christmas.”