Boxing clever to bag a bargain

Centre managers reported having queues of people outside the shops hours before they opened their doors as people were desperate to take advantage of the sales.

Barry Turnbull said thousands of people flocked to the MetroCentre, in Gateshead.

He said: "I don't think people have been holding back, as our customer numbers have been high throughout December.

"We get people of all ages coming through our doors on Boxing Day and the reason is that stores slash their prices and they can get things for 25 per cent cheaper.

He said many were buying clothes but other goods were also proving popular.

"There are a lot of people with a lot of bags and boxes and a lot of smiling faces," he said. "The car parks have been very busy, but we have put on a lot of extra staff to help keep the traffic flowing."

A spokesman for The Bridges, in Sunderland, said the situation was similar there.

He said: "It has been very, very busy all day. People were here before we even opened the door."

The stores and car parks were full at Teesside Retail Park, near Stockton, for the opening of the sales period yesterday.

A spokesman for PC World said the store had been much busier than last year, both in the run-up to Christmas and yesterday.

"The car parks were full all day, so it looks like everyone has had a good start to the sales."

Many of the major stores in the centre of Stockton and Middlesbrough were not starting their sales until today.

In Darlington, there were queues outside some shops and the Cornmill Shopping Centre before the 10am opening.

Cornmill manager Susan Young said: "About 25 of our shops were open today, which was more than last year, and I expect our shopper numbers will also have increased."

But Inspector Alan Davidson, of Darlington police, said Boxing Day was quieter than expected. "The town centre is very steady, not very busy at all," he said. "The traffic is more like on a Sunday. It's like the sales haven't started."