Retailers begin sales early to lure in last-minute Christmas shoppers

Shoppers: Oxford Street was flooded with shoppers hoping to get a pre-Christmas bargain
Alex Lentati
Laura Proto23 December 2015

Bargain hunters have been lured back to the high street as struggling retailers slash prices ahead of the traditional Boxing Day sales.

Sale signs filled shopping districts and centres across London as retailers tried to encourage spending in the run-up to Christmas.

Online sales have already begun, with top retailers including John Lewis and Currys PC World among those who have already displayed discounts online.

Retail expert Richard Hyman said 72 per cent of the high street was already on sale, adding he had “never seen anything remotely like it” in more than 30 years.

Research by Sainsbury’s Bank found Christmas shoppers' will spend an average of £272 each this week as they scramble to buy last minute gifts.

A separate study for Barclaycard found that a quarter of people who planned to shop in this year’s Christmas sales had already done so today.

Clothing retailers were left struggling after the warmest December in 70 years hit the UK.

But VoucherCodes.co.uk and the Centre for Retail Research predict 22 million shoppers will spent a total of £3.74 billion on Boxing Day – up six per cent on last year.

It is believed 78 per cent of purchases made on Boxing Day will take place in the high street while online sales are set to be up 13 per cent on last year.

Claire Davenport, VoucherCodes managing director, said: "While pre-Christmas sale dates have soared in popularity over the last couple of years, it seems they are yet to take over our more traditional savings days, with many retailers choosing to go all out on Boxing Day, running deals as early as Christmas Day right through to the start of the new year.

"Judging from our research, it looks as though consumer appetite to snap up deals is here to stay, both on the high street and online."

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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