Shoppers smash Boxing Day records

Dec 26 2012

Boxing Day sales records have been smashed as shoppers sent tills into meltdown.

Across the country, thousands of eager bargain hunters waited patiently for stores to throw open their doors with some queuing overnight.

And in London's West End shopping mecca, by 11am footfall was up 31.3% on Boxing Day last year with sales fuelled by rich tourists.

The UK average footfall was up by 21.6%.

Flagship store Selfridges in bustling Oxford Street reported its most successful first hour of trade ever with £1.5 million rattling through the tills.

Three thousand eager shoppers were waiting outside the shop at 7am and the first purchases were made within two minutes.

Forecasters said more than £50 million would be taken on the West End's famous shopping destinations of Bond Street, Regent Street and Oxford Street.

The huge surge in enthusiasm for a spending spree was attributed by tax-free shopping experts Global Blue to wealthy international shoppers drawn in by deals on premium beauty brands and designer fashion accessories.

Middle Eastern, Chinese and Nigerian shoppers were predicted to be the strongest growth nationalities for West End shopping.

Jace Tyrrell, director of the New West End Company which represents retailers, said: "This is one of the strongest trading days of the year in terms of sales, and retailers are pulling out all the stops to harness the coveted international spend, whilst also attracting shoppers from across the UK all hungry for a bargain."