Millions log on to snap up bargain

12 April 2012

Christmas bargain hunters hit the sales early on Thursday as millions went online to snap up a deal.

Many retailers tried to woo customers by starting their internet sales before the sales in their stores, with many e-shoppers logging on in the early hours of Christmas morning.

Electronic goods such as TVs and laptops were proving popular with initial sales figures up on last year.

More than five million people were expected to log on to the sales throughout the course of the day, retail experts predicted.

Internet retail group IMRG estimated e-shoppers will splurge £103.6 million, up from the £84 million spent last year.

Predictions are so far proving accurate with retailers PC World, Currys and Dixons reporting that visitor numbers to the online sales sites up from between 30% to 40% on last year's figures. The peak times for sales so far were between 1am and 5am on Thursday morning.

A spokeswoman for DSG International, the parent group of the three retailers, said the top sellers had been large televisions.

She explained: "We've seen a real rush in the early hours of this morning with people visiting the online sites so they can be first to the deals.

"This initial rush almost mirrors the patterns we see with sales on the high street. Large televisions have been selling particularly well, people seem to be using the sales as an opportunity to upgrade their sets."

She said that laptops were the second best seller so far with high end washing machines in third place.

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