Shrewsbury enjoys shopping sales boom

Traders say tens of thousands of people packed into the town on Boxing Day for the start of the sales – with today expected to be even busier.

And they say the rush could last well in to the new year as massive discounts finally persuade shoppers to splash the cash.

The sales kicked off yesterday with shoppers queuing for more than a quarter of a mile outside the town centre's Next store, while the first bargain-hunter joined the queue at the chain's Meole Brace store at 2.30am.

Nationally, sales soared 21 per cent yesterday to more than £3 billion, compared to December 26 last year – with analysts declaring it the busiest Boxing Day ever.

Shane Ryder, manager at the Next store at Meole Brace Retail Park, in Shrewsbury, said they had been 'fantastically pleased' with the Boxing Day sales rush.

He said: "It went really well and trading was very buoyant. The queues were massive and went right back down to the old Do-it-All store.

"I'd say the queues were easily as big as last year and the first people were here queuing from about 2.30am."

James Beattie, senior sales manager at House of Fraser, on High Street, said Boxing Day had been very busy.

But he added: "We're expecting today to be our busiest day and we could double what we made yesterday.

"It is as busy this year after Christmas as before and we're expecting it to stay busy for the next 10 days, with trade greatly increased on your average time of the year."

Sales were also up elsewhere in Shropshire. Tim Driscoll, store manager at Argos in Market Drayton, said it was a successful day.

"We did well," he said.

By David Seadon