Lakeside shopping centre in Essex is introducing a fast lane to help reduce ‘slow-rage’ incidents (Picture: Getty Images)

Are you one of those people that know exactly what you want before you get to a shop?

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Well you’ll love this new fast lane idea then as it wiill allow you to nab those pre-Christmas ‘Black Friday’ bargains before anyone else.

Lakeside Centre in Essex, which is one of the country’s biggest retail centres, has launched a special ‘fast lane’ for shoppers who are in a hurry.

The 220-metre corridor is marked out for customers who know where they want to go and don’t want to be held up by ambling window-shoppers.


The 220-metre corridor is marked out for customers who know where they want to go and don’t want to be held up by ambling window-shoppers. (Picture: Flynet Pictures)

They also hope it will help reduce incidents of ‘slow-rage’ caused when determined bargain hunters get caught up with leisurely shoppers on one of the busiest weekends of the retail year.



Analysts have identified four categories of shoppers by the way they move:

Skaters : almost a third of people try to manoeuvre their way through a crowd gracefully, politely avoiding those in their path.

: almost a third of people try to manoeuvre their way through a crowd gracefully, politely avoiding those in their path. Dodgers – 51% of people have moved paths to avoid slow walkers.

– 51% of people have moved paths to avoid slow walkers. Bull-dozers – 11% drive their way determinedly through crowds to get what they need

– 11% drive their way determinedly through crowds to get what they need Tutters – the 15% who just put up with things but grumble loudly.

And research by Mastercard found that slow walking by others is the biggest bugbear for more than 80% of shoppers.

The average walking speed is 2.85mph but this drops by more than 20% during the busy Christmas period.

The West Thurrock complex, which contains more than 250 shops, 50 cafes and restaurants and parking for 13,000 cars, attracts more than 25 million visitors a year and the coming weeks will be the busiest of the year.

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The average walking speed is 2.85mph but this drops by more than 20% during the busy Christmas period. (Picture: Flynet Pictures)

Elliott Goldenberg of Mastercard, who are backing the fast-lane experiment, said today: ‘Retailers are refining their business models to meet the needs of today’s shopper.

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‘What technology gives them is speed and convenience, but they really want to see that reflected on the high street.

‘Some might like to make shopping a social occasion, some want to just click and collect and others might want to browse before buying online.’

Consumer behaviour expert Kate Nightingale, said: ‘We live in a fast culture where everything that’s done fast and in a more efficient manner is better.’

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