Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Dawn breaks with sales frenzy
Friday 26th December 2008, 11:45AM GMT.
Thousands of bargain hunters have hit the seasonal sales ith queues forming before dawn at some stores.
Shoppers were expected to spend £1million a minute nationwide, as they clamoured for items reduced by up to 70 per cent.
A crowd of up to 200 people queued outside Debenhams at the Merry Hill Centre in Brierley Hill well before the store opened its doors at 7am – an hour earlier than last year.
More than 50 people were waiting outside Beatties in Wolverhampton when it opened at 9.30am for only the second Boxing Day in the store’s 131-year history. Bosses introduced the move last year.
There were around 100 shoppers waiting outside Currys in Wednesbury when the store opened shortly after 7am.
Deals included 42in HD ready LG digital televisions on sale at £549, with £450 off. Both Debenhams and Beatties were advertising up to 70 per cent off.
There was no sign that the Boxing Day sales had been hit by the pre-Christmas discounts offered by many retailers in a desperate bid to boost trade.
In Beatties, a Jaeger suit was down from £550 to £275 while a presentation box of Ralph Lauren perfume was down from £45 to £30.15.
First in the queue was Margaret Harris, aged 60, of Quesdale Road, Wombourne.
She said: “I’m just looking for a good bargain. I love coming to the sales, there’s a real magic and excitement about finding a good deal.”
Shirley Andrews, 55, of Old Shackerley Lane, Albrighton, took her friend Dorothy Cotterill, 86, of Sheldon Court, Albrighton to look around the Dash range in Beatties.
Mrs Cotterill bought a coat, body warmer and fleece as well as some other clothes, spending £150.
Mrs Andrews said: “There’s some good reductions. Lots of things are up to 70 per cent off.”
Karen and Katie Fellows set out for Debenhams, Merry Hill, from their home in Springfield Road, Bilston, early and picked up some pans for £100, down from £240.
Personal assistant Mrs Fellows, 50, said: “My daughter has just got a new house so we came down to get some things for that. We got some saucepans and other bits and bobs for the kitchen but we will be going back in for more.”
Lynda Wright, 40, from Bentley, Walsall, also got her hands on a bargain at Currys in Wednesbury. She bought two Samsung 32in TVs at £299.
She said: “I got one for downstairs and my partner wanted one for upstairs. It was a good deal so I was pleased with them.”
Other retailers including Next, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer open their sales tomorrow.
The annual sales rush started early this year, with thousands going online where cuts were introduced as early as Christmas Eve.
More than five million people went online on Christmas Day shelling out an estimated £104 million, up from £84 million last year.
The huge demand meant the John Lewis website crashed soon after its sale began on Christmas Eve.
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Saddos, one and all. Because of these people’s pathetic addiction to retail therapy the poor shop staff had to be in work at 6.00am or even earlier this morning, having only had one day off for Christmas (and if some stores had their way, they wouldn’t even get that!).
Don’t you just feel like screaming that Christmas is not about accumulating yet more material goodies on already over-walloped credit cards. It’s about the birth of a Saviour who has taken away the sins of the world!.
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How sad to spend Boxing Day in crowded shops glad I spent mine walking with hubby by the river for an hour, had a cuppa and walked back, in the sun, what could be better, Can people put their handon their heart and say “yes I needed those items” ? spend precious times with loved ones whilst you have the chance. I am not a Baaaaaa Humbug person, had a lovely Christmas Day, a fantastic Boxing Day with not a shop open in sight wow that’s the way to relax and enjoy life, forget the shops they will be there when I NEED something.
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Soon most people in Wolverhampton will be repossessed but I hear still some flats available in Heath Town so not all bad news……
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Hear Hear Ray, unbelievable greed by shoppers and shopping centres. Merry Hill used to close on Boxing Day, can’t understand why anyone wants to spend Boxing Day fighting for rubbish they probably don’t even need.
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Im totally fed up with every advert on the tv advertising sale. For instance, i saw a bed at 499 and aftersale 1529. My point being is im 27, and believe xmas is a time for a break and to spend some quality time with loved ones and friends.
Too many people are forced to work, some gain due to the bank holiday, but the other point of my gripe is simple-
why can retailers slash prices like they do at main bank holidays? Why not instead price things more sensibly throughout the year? If i need a new tv in feb ill pay top whack for it. If only my tv would tell me it will pack up in advance maybe id get one. It forces us to think hey, thats good and get one, often on credit.
Come on please, lets have reasonable realistic prices for goods all year round. I know retailers need to keep us interested, but theres promotions and incentives that you can do.
All of this asks the question, why can they reduce goods at this rate? Obviously they make a good deal most of the year, or they are at a loss to hit “targets”
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Why do people feel the need to queue for up to TWO HOURS to get into a store on Boxing Day morning? Maybe if these people actually spent that time getting a life then that would be a better use of their time. Some people will probably easily spend £100 and above for things they dont even need. Sorry, its a completely stupid way to spend your Boxing Day. Get a life people!!
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You greedy, greedy ,silly people. If you are so desperate to get out of the house why not volunteer at a soup kitchen or similar, try explaining to the people there why you simply had to go out and spend £50 on saucepans. there are also lots of old folk who would welcome a hour or so of their precious time, I truly nope you are never one of them.
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Have People got nothing else better to do with their Sad lives than stand and wait for a shop to open! Oh Dear! No wonder this country is in the mess its in!
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i think it must be a british thing some shops just pretend to knock money off i hope when all the visa/mastercard bills come in mid january the barginhunters can afford to pay cash because they dont except aftershave or suites or any other rubish that happens to be £20 off
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we live in a materialistic, greedy world.
I use to work at a major retail store who are famous for their “half price everything or more sales” and had to get up at 4 in the morning to get there for 5! all the good stuff is gone anyway because the staff have had it all previously when we mark down the sale products a couple of days before and we reserve them.
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Perhaps they all really believe that they got that bargain £1000 bed for £300 pounds and that it really is worth the money. I bet you don’t see pc world selling a £400 laptop for £100 pounds now that would be a real bargain. Wake up you thick people you are bunch of silly naive sheep and the shops love idiots!
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HOW SAD TO SEE ALL THESE PEOPLE SPENDING
ALL THERE HOLIDAY TIME IN A QUEUE.
YOU MUST BE MAD.
ITS WARM HERE SAT IN MY FAV CHAIR WITH A GLASS OF
MY FAV DRINK . HAPPY NEW YEAR CHEERS . hic hic.
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Numpties-all of them causing chaos for the genuine shoppers.
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“I bet you don’t see pc world selling a £400 laptop for £100 pounds…” £978 pre-sale laptops selling for £349, and 19″ monitors going for £15.
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these stores are not giving anything away in the SALES they are still making a profit but NOT QUITE THE OBSCENE ONES THEY NORMALLY MAKE.
Hence the reason the country is in such a dire state. GREED.
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14numpty i bet not many people walked away happy
only small amounts put out to tempt the greedy !!!
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They were never £978 in the first place numpty. And if you beleive that your as dumb as the rest of the shoppers
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