BARGAIN HUNT

STORES had a mixed start to the traditional Boxing Day sales yesterday, early figures show.

- BY GRAHAM HISCOTT

Queues formed outside shops across the country before they opened with bargain hunters keen to snap up the best deals.

Out-of-town retail parks were the most popular, with visitors up nearly 7% year-on-year, said a lunchtime snapshot taken by MRI Software.

But high streets got off to a slower start, with shopper numbers 2.4% lower than Boxing Day in 2024.

It follows predictions from Barclays that £1 billion less will be spent on the key day for retailers.