Boxing Day bargains as shops slash prices

Shops in the West Midlands were today preparing for thousands of Boxing Day bargain hunters despite shorter opening hours and forecasters warning of snow.

Store bosses are preparing for a rush of customers hoping to get their hands on cut-price goods. They cannot hold traditional extended opening hours for the first day of sales because of Boxing Day falling on a Sunday.

Instead, many will open for longer on Monday — and some stores have already started slashing prices to entice shoppers through the doors.

Beatties in Wolverhampton will have all 400 of its staff in on Boxing Day to cope with its biggest sale ever. Beatties store manager Parminder Sahota said because of Sunday trading laws they would allow customers a browsing hour from 9.30am to 10.30am.

Mander Centre manager Kevin Gwilliam added Boxing Day was not traditionally one of their busiest days but added it had taken on greater significance this year because businesses had seen trade fall by up to 25 per cent because of the snow.

The Next store at Merry Hill shopping centre in Brierley Hill will be open from 5am on December 27 to give shoppers an early opportunity to bargain hunt.

Kelly Reed, marketing manager at Merry Hill, said: "We are expecting people to be queuing outside the centre before it opens at 10am on Boxing Day."

In Sandwell, stores at the Gallagher Retail Park off Junction 9 of the M6 including Ikea, Decathlon and Outfit will open from 11am-5pm.

In Walsall, parking fees are being waived on council-run car parks to encourage more shoppers until January 3. The Old Square shopping centre will be open from 9.30am to 5pm and

The Crown Wharf shopping park will open usual Sunday hours. The Saddlers Centre will be closed on Boxing Day, except for Argos, which will open from 10.30am to 4pm.

Stafford's Guildhall Shopping Centre will reopen on Boxing Day at 10.30am.

Cannock Shopping Centre will not open on Boxing Day but independent traders who operate on the edge of the centre may open.