Busiest sales in years as shoppers finally open their wallets

Savvy shoppers willing to delay their Christmas splurges until after Dec 25 have made this year’s St Stephen’s Day sales the busiest since the recession began.

Umbrella group Retail Excellence Ireland said there had been a 20% rise in the number of people hitting the shops in search of cut-price deals.

The organisation, which represents stores across the country, said a large number of shops struggled to bring in customers in the lead-up to Christmas as consumers continued to play safe with their hard-earned money.