Pound Drop Wins Americans as London Easter Shopping Gains

The number of Easter-weekend shoppers in London’s West End jumped 15 percent as the pound’s exchange-rate drop helped attract American and European buyers, more than offsetting a cold snap that kept Britons away.

Shoppers spent 130 million pounds ($197 million) from March 29 through April 1, according to the New West End Co., which represents 600 retailers along Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street in London. U.S. citizens were the largest group, with shopper numbers gaining 15 percent on April 1 from last year’s Easter Monday and 3.9 percent over the holiday weekend, followed by visitors from the Nordic countries, France and Germany, according to Jace Tyrrell, a spokesman.