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AND THEY'RE OFF!

Boxing Day sales bonanza gets underway as bargain hunters flood UK high streets in £4 billion hunt for deals

BOXING Day bargain hunters are flooding into stores across the UK in an early morning bid to catch this year's best deals.

Massive queues have already formed in malls and early shoppers have been seen pouring into stores in Gloucestershire, the West Midlands, West Yorkshire, North Tyneside and more.

 A woman piles dozens of pieces of clothing on a pushchair as she wanders through a NEXT store in Leicester
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A woman piles dozens of pieces of clothing on a pushchair as she wanders through a NEXT store in LeicesterCredit: PA:Press Association
 Shoppers were also on hand to snap up bargains at a NEXT store in Leicester
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Shoppers were also on hand to snap up bargains at a NEXT store in LeicesterCredit: PA:Press Association
 A man leaves a NEXT store in Cheltenham carrying a sofa
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A man leaves a NEXT store in Cheltenham carrying a sofaCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 One of an estimated 800 early morning shoppers leaves NEXT with several bags of goods
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One of an estimated 800 early morning shoppers leaves NEXT with several bags of goodsCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 A bargain hunter wraps up while waiting in the cold for the store to open
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A bargain hunter wraps up while waiting in the cold for the store to openCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 NEXT stores across the UK were among the first to open their doors this morning
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NEXT stores across the UK were among the first to open their doors this morningCredit: PA:Press Association
 A massive queue forms outside Selfridges on Oxford Street in London
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A massive queue forms outside Selfridges on Oxford Street in LondonCredit: Rex Features
 Store security and police officers were also on hand to guard shoppers
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Store security and police officers were also on hand to guard shoppersCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 When the doors did finally open, bargain hunters raced inside
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When the doors did finally open, bargain hunters raced insideCredit: Rex Features
 Selfridges customers in London file onto the store's escalators
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Selfridges customers in London file onto the store's escalatorsCredit: i-Images Picture Agency
 Hundreds of shoppers are squeezed towards an escalator at Selfridges earlier today
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Hundreds of shoppers are squeezed towards an escalator at Selfridges earlier todayCredit: Getty Images
 It was pandemonium inside the Oxford Street store
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It was pandemonium inside the Oxford Street storeCredit: Getty Images

It is estimated half of all British adults will hit the stores today, spending almost £4 billion in one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

The Boxing Day bonanza, which beats last year’s £3.76bn record, will be nearly double the £2bn blown on Black Friday.

Around 14 million Brits are set to hit the shops, with some queuing outside stores from 11pm last night.

Photographs taken in the early hours of this morning showed people camping out along high streets. Some waited overnight or since the early hours of the morning to ensure their place in the queues.

In North Tynside, thousands of shoppers donned their warmest clothes and braved the freezing cold temperatures to queue from the early hours for the annual Next Boxing Day sale.

The yearly tradition sees scores of bargain hunters form a snake-like queue around the Silverlink shopping park, with some dedicated shoppers arriving before 3am.

The thrifty bunch shivered their hats, scarfs and fur boots in the bitter winds as they eagerly awaited the store's grand opening at 6am.

They queued behind barriers, which were manned by the store's staff - who were on stand-by to maintain the peace.

The shoppers, armed with carrier bags and credit cards, poured into the upmarket store as soon as the door started to open - hoping to save money on clothes, perfumes and home-wear.

 Shoppers queue at the Intu Trafford Centre in Manchester in a bid to grab a bargain
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Shoppers queue at the Intu Trafford Centre in Manchester in a bid to grab a bargainCredit: Zenpix
 A police officer guards shopping queues in Manchester
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A police officer guards shopping queues in ManchesterCredit: Zenpix
 Shoppers are expected to spend close to £4 billion in today's sales
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Shoppers are expected to spend close to £4 billion in today's salesCredit: Zenpix
 Some of the bargains on offer from high street retailers
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Some of the bargains on offer from high street retailers

 

In Cardiff, around 2,000 bargain hunters queued outside the city's flagship NEXT store from 1am to make sure they were first in line to grab some bargains.

The bargain hunters were pictured bursting through the doors before getting lost in a mass of people pulling clothes of the railings and piling them high until they couldn't see where they were going.

Shoppers brought babies in push chairs and toddlers along with them to queue in the bitterly cold morning before the doors opened at 6am.

Security guards were heard trying to calm excited shoppers, telling them: "Go nice and slow now. Everybody is going to get in, don't worry."

 Shoppers at Briggate, Leeds rifle through items on discounted clothing racks
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Shoppers at Briggate, Leeds rifle through items on discounted clothing racksCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 Stores have slashed prices today in a bid to attract post-Christmas bargain hunters
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Stores have slashed prices today in a bid to attract post-Christmas bargain huntersCredit: SWNS:South West News Service
 Shoppers walk through central Leeds carrying bags of goods
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Shoppers walk through central Leeds carrying bags of goodsCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Tesco is among the companies joining the shopping rush with the supermarket giant launching its biggest ever sale across 900 stores.

The New West End Company is among those expecting a bumper Boxing Day, projecting a spend of £55 million which they attribute to a sustained increase in trade from international shoppers after the Brexit vote.

Jace Tyrrell, chief executive, said: "Boxing Day always delivers for the West End but this year promises to be especially strong for retailers as visitors from around the globe make the most of the amazing deals available from our world-class mix of retailers combined with the relative value of the weak pound.

"We expect a significantly higher number of Chinese tourists to come over specifically to bargain hunt."

 

 Shoppers brave a freezing snow storm in Edinburgh this morning
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Shoppers brave a freezing snow storm in Edinburgh this morningCredit: PA:Press Association
 The freezing temperatures did little to deter shopping from hitting the high street
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The freezing temperatures did little to deter shopping from hitting the high streetCredit: PA:Press Association
 The NEXT store on Queen St in Cardiff opened at 6am this morning
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The NEXT store on Queen St in Cardiff opened at 6am this morningCredit: Wales News Service
 A woman carries bags through while shopping on the Cardiff high street
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A woman carries bags through while shopping on the Cardiff high streetCredit: Wales News Service

Myf Ryan, chief marketing officer for Westfield UK and Europe, said: "Boxing Day continues to be Westfield's busiest day of the Christmas trading period. Last year over 330,000 shoppers visited our two Westfield centres in London and again this year we are expecting similar numbers.

"During the Christmas period last year, shoppers spent over £500,000 per hour. Westfield centres are popular shopping destinations with the large majority of our 300 retailers all on sale.

"The entertainment, dining and cinema offerings also draw in the customers, particularly with the new big holiday film releases."


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