Bank Holiday sales: Tills ring out as shoppers use extra day off work to grab bargains

While Boxing Day is the traditional day for shopping the sales, families took advantage of the extra day off to spend their cash.

The day saw customers arrive at the region's retail parks and town centres early with car parks remaining busy throughout the day.

At Merry Hill shopping centre in Brierley Hill people said they had to push by fellow customers to get to the sales.

Samantha Brown, aged 41, from Rowley Regis, said: "It's been easy to get around surprisingly. I've just pushed through everyone to get to the stuff."

Elizabeth Powell, 44, from Kidderminster, said: "There were very good deals this year with some good stuff in them."

Also busy was Gallagher Retail Park in Wednesbury.

Lisa Day, 47, said: "I went to Merry Hill yesterday at 8am, which was packed, but we came here as we were just passing." Her persistence secured her £5 off a microwave.

Richard Kirk store manager at PC World and Currys at the Gallagher Retail Park, said: "It's been really busy from very early this morning. Yesterday we were open from seven and busy straight away, and people were stood queuing when we opened.

"It's been busier this year, which is probably because of the two bank holidays.

"There's a big demand for big TVs and sound bars. Over Christmas it was cordless vacuums.

"We're expecting to be busy for the rest of the week until New Year especially with another Bank Holiday."

And the picture was the same at Cannock's Orbital Retail Park.

Sarah Louise, 31, from Walsall, said: "I absolutely love a bargain so I'm going to try and visit all of the retail parks and shopping centres as much as possible over the next week.

"Everyone thinks I'm sad but I rarely buy anything that's full priced."

John Renhard, sales advisor at Maplin Electronics, said: "I'd say that it's been busier than on Christmas Eve. Strangely busy for the day after Boxing Day."

He added: "A lot of people want the Amazon fire stick. We've sold out of them, and I think most places have."

At Wolverhampton's Wulfrun Centre, owner of independent shop Batteries Not Included, Iain Ashbourne, also said yesterday's business was brisk.

He said: "In the run up to Christmas the numbers were unprecedented, and it has stayed steady. We have sales and reductions going on. All we need to do now is make sure we've got enough stock."

The bumper day came a day after New Square in West Bromwich reported an increase in shoppers since 2015, with bosses reporting an increase of 15 per cent.

Almost 44,000 people walked to the shopping centre.

Trading had been boosted by extended opening hours to catch late spend from busy shoppers. More than 800 bargain hunters were queuing outside Next before its sale commenced at 6am, with the earliest person getting in line at 1.30am. The queues continued outside JD, River Island, Tessuti, Pandora, Card Factory and H&M before they opened their doors at 9am.

Centre manager Steve Burr said: "We're over the moon to be announcing New Square's most successful Christmas in its four-year history.

"The addition of some great new tenants to the centre over the last year plus a programme of festive fun, including our very own Santa's grotto, has really enhanced the seasonal period at the centre, making New Square centre a go to destination for Christmas shoppers. Retailers are really going all out in their sales offers this year, so we're expecting a busy time into the New Year and we're looking forward to continuing the centre's success story in 2017."

Queues were seen at St John's Retail Park in Wolverhampton on Boxing Day, with the most keen even getting in line at 2.30am.

The picture contrasts with figures published by Ipsos Retail Performance, which revealed that nationally the number of shoppers venturing out to the Boxing Day sales fell 6.7 percent on last year.

With news that the value of the pound has fallen against the Euro over the past week, it has also been reported that an influx of foreign shoppers has helped boost trading.