Bargains galore as shoppers cash in on the winter sales

Hundreds of people queued outside Next which opened its Houndshill store at 7am for the start of its Boxing Day sale.

Bosses at the Houndshill Centre said it had experienced some of its highest footfall ever as the rain drove people under cover.

Centre manager Debs Lancelot said: “First thing in the morning on Boxing Day there were about 300 people queuing outside Next and then they moved onto River Island when it opened.

“So people were quite clever in order to maximise their chances of getting a bargain as the different stores opened.

“In terms of footfall, the Houndshill had one of its best Boxing Days ever.

“But there are still many bargains to be had for those who want to make the most of their Christmas money, with some shops making further reductions still.”

Blackpool town centre and BID (business improvement district) manager Eileen Ormand said the town had been busy despite heavy rain on Boxing Day.

She said: “Certainly the Houndshill did a bundle, the centre and its car park were busy, and the leisure attractions such as the Tower and Winter Gardens also did well.

“Boxing Day is traditionally a good day for Blackpool with people who have stayed overnight in the hotels looking to go to the shops.

“The bad weather also meant a lot of locals decided to stay closer to home and shop local as well. Blackpool also had a really good run up to Christmas.”