Bargain hunters flock to UK sales

Bargain hunters packed high streets across Britain today as the post-Christmas sales began with a boom.

Eager shoppers in many parts of the country were queueing from the crack of dawn to snap up the first of the bargains when doors opened as early as 7am.

Some retailers were tonight toasting record Boxing Day sales as shoppers worked off their Christmas Day hangovers with retail therapy.

About 3,500 shoppers queued from 3.30am at the Trafford Centre, just outside Manchester city centre, in a bid to get the best bargains.

General manager Andy Orr said the atmosphere was “brilliant”.

“We are on course for our best Boxing Day ever. We had thousands coming for the first sales at Next which started at 7am. The other stores opened between 9am and 10am,” he said.

About 120,000 shoppers visited the centre with Debenhams, Selfridges and clothing chain Next offering discounts of up to 70%. Household and electrical goods and fashion wear have been the best-selling items, he added.

London’s Brent Cross shopping centre reported that the sales had started “extremely well”.

“It looks to me as though we are as busy as Christmas Eve,” said marketing manager Norman Black.

“We won’t have the figures until the end of the week but it looks like we are doing extremely well.

“We are smiling today. I have a big grin on my face.”

Thousands of customers flocked to Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre, which had its first Boxing Day opening.

Centre spokeswoman Kit Harris said: “It’s been really good. We opened at 7am and there were people queueing outside.

“Last year the sale started on the 27th and we had around 170,000 customers. It has been so busy that we are hoping to have topped that today.”

A spokeswoman for London’s Selfridges store said more than 10,000 transactions were processed in the first hour.

She said: “We’ve done incredibly well. We’ve had huge crowds today. The store has been absolutely packed.”

One sign of the battle for business on the high street this year was the number of retailers which effectively started their sales before Christmas with discounts on a wide range of products.

Shopaholics in the UK had the chance to bag a bargain on Christmas Day after Marks & Spencer launched its sale early through its website at just after midnight yesterday.

Debenhams, Dixons, Currys, PC World and Argos were among those that opened their doors this morning. Thirty-six M&S opened for the sales, with the rest set to open tomorrow.

Next, which normally attracts queues for the start of its winter sale, opened all 26 branches in Scotland today as well as its store at the Trafford Centre. The remaining stores will begin the sale tomorrow.