Shoppers hit post-Christmas sales

Thousands of shoppers across the UK snapped up bargains on the first day of the post-Christmas sales.
Queues built up outside stores hours before they opened as retailers affected by the credit crunch cut prices by up to 70%. Around 500,000 bargain-hunters flocked to London's West End attracted to the discounted goods on offer. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said it had been "a poor Christmas" for many retailers.
Around 15,000 people were in London's Westfield shopping centre - Europe's biggest inner-city shopping centre - as soon as it opened, a spokeswoman said.

'Busy week'

An estimated 100,000 sales shoppers were expected at Bluewater shopping centre in Kent - an increase of 10% from last year. The centre's retail manager James Waugh said: "This is one of our busiest weeks of the year. "People seem to be coming out for the day to enjoy themselves and judging from the people I've spoken to they are spending." He said people were buying fashion items and treats for themselves. In Cardiff, Manda Sharp, general manager of department store Howells, said the situation was similar and she expected record-breaking sales.

'Significant reductions'

Some High Street stores, including John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, began sales on their websites on Christmas Day. John Lewis recorded its busiest ever online sales between 7pm and 8pm and said its Christmas Day traffic on its website was 12 times higher than last year. London's Brent Cross Shopping Centre saw 30,000 people through its doors by midday
The centre's Norman Black, said more than 100 of its stores had started their sales. Others, such as M&S, John Lewis and Fenwick would begin their sales on 27 December with "significant reductions", he added.
Debenhams, which slashed prices by as much as 70% in what it described as its biggest-ever sale, opened its doors at 7am.