One million shoppers jammed Scotland’s high streets in a £587,000-a-minute Boxing Day spree with £317million blown

OVER 1 million shoppers jammed Scotland’s high streets in a £587,000-a-minute Boxing Day spree – and ‘Frantic Friday’ will be even busier.

It’s estimated a whopping £317million was blown north of the border as people took to stores to splash the cash.

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Price cuts of up to 70 per cent off saw 90,000 shoppers at the Braehead Centre, near Glasgow, with 70,000 at Glasgow’s Silverburn and 60,000 at Edinburgh’s Fort Kinnaird.

Meanwhile 55,000 were expected at Aberdeen’s Union Square, 45,000 at Livingston’s The Centre and 35,000 at Dundee’s Overgate.

Silverburn’s general manager David Pierotti said: “The energy among shoppers is fantastic, with so many people taking advantage of the sales.

“Retailers have pulled out all the stops, with big discounts proving hugely popular.”

David Lonsdale, of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Even though Christmas is over, there’s plenty to keep shoppers coming into stores.

“The post-Christmas sales are key for retailers and busy with bargain-hunters especially in fashion, entertainment and fitness.”

Scots shoppers were delighted with the sales on offer.

Dundee University student Brook Bennett, 18, enjoyed his day out in Glasgow. He said: “You can get some really good deals in some places, so that’s obviously a good thing.

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“As a student it can be tough going, it all adds up.
“Being away from home at university is very difficult.

“Obviously the sales do help a lot and it allows me to buy things I wouldn’t normally be able to.”

Anna Duffy, 23, a doctor from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, said: “It’s great to come out and spend some time with my mum.

“We enjoy going around the shops having a look and having a look at what’s on sale.”

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Anna’s mum Louise McDermid, added: “The prices are brilliant, having deals on for half price or even more really helps.

“We love Lush but it’s really expensive, so we just went in and loaded our bags up.

“Finding a wee bargain is always nice, and it’s a nice day out for us together.

“It’s so much sweeter to get out after an expensive month, we’re really happy with the things we’ve bought.”

Friday is due a bigger total of 1.4m shoppers in Scotland, due to many people being busy visiting family and friends on Boxing Day and big retailers including John Lewis, Next and M&S keeping most stores shut until today.

A staggering £281m will be splurged in Scotland on Friday with stores seeing £185m spent, and £96m on websites.

The splurge will take the two-day retail blowout total to £598m in Scotland.

GlobalData Retail head consultant Neil Hendry said: “There’s a rush after Christmas and retailers are making the most of it.

“Some shoppers have held back spending from earlier in the Black Friday period and December, in order to take advantage of post-Christmas discounts.

“People are spending after concerns about consumer confidence, but the spending will tail off after two days, and the Boxing Day sales period is not what it used to be.”

Retail consultant David Oliver, formerly of PwC, said: “People are excited by the sales and the bargains are attracting shoppers.

“There rush will continue to Friday, but after a difficult year for shops, some retailers are operating more in hope than expectation.”

Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: ‘Despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures, consumers are actively participating in the post-Christmas sales.”

All Scotland figures are the country’s population-based share of UK-wide totals.