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| Shoppers head for Boxing Day sales | Shoppers head for Boxing Day sales |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Stores across the UK are opening their doors to start their new year sales. | |
| Some shops opened for business as early as 0600 GMT to lure in bargain hunters. | |
| The BBC's business correspondent Emma Simpson says it has been a difficult year for many retailers, who have been discounting since November. | The BBC's business correspondent Emma Simpson says it has been a difficult year for many retailers, who have been discounting since November. |
| Argos, John Lewis and Marks & Spencer were among stores who started their sales online as early as Christmas Eve and many people are predicted to spend Boxing Day online rather than in shops. | |
| Online shopping | Online shopping |
| Our correspondent says many people are believed to have gone shopping online on Christmas Day itself. | |
| E-retail association Interactive Media in Retail Group predicted on Christmas Eve that online consumers would spend £186.4m on Christmas Day and £367.8m on Boxing Day. | |
| Debenhams said it saw a 75% spike in Christmas Day online traffic compared with last year. | |
| Millions of people are expected to hit the high streets and shopping centres in the hope of bagging big discounts. | Millions of people are expected to hit the high streets and shopping centres in the hope of bagging big discounts. |
| The breakdown service Green Flag estimated 5.6 million motorists would be on the road, with the shops one of the main destinations. | |
| It forecast the Boxing Day rush to peak at 1030 GMT. | |
| The Christmas sales figures could be make or break for some retail chains. | The Christmas sales figures could be make or break for some retail chains. |
| 'Trading conditions' | 'Trading conditions' |
| On Friday, the lingerie chain La Senza said it intended to enter administration and blamed "trading conditions". | On Friday, the lingerie chain La Senza said it intended to enter administration and blamed "trading conditions". |
| The retailer, which has 2,600 staff in 146 stores in the UK, may be the first of several shop chains in trouble. | The retailer, which has 2,600 staff in 146 stores in the UK, may be the first of several shop chains in trouble. |
| But there was good news from north of the border where Aberdeen's Union Square shopping centre recorded a 32% year-on-year rise in the number of people through the doors in Christmas week. | But there was good news from north of the border where Aberdeen's Union Square shopping centre recorded a 32% year-on-year rise in the number of people through the doors in Christmas week. |
| Ryan Manson, general manager for Union Square, said: "We expect Boxing Day to be another busy day as shoppers hit the high street to take advantage of the post-Christmas sales. | Ryan Manson, general manager for Union Square, said: "We expect Boxing Day to be another busy day as shoppers hit the high street to take advantage of the post-Christmas sales. |
| "If the last few weeks have been anything to go by, we expect to see the centre remain busy well into the sales and New Year period." | "If the last few weeks have been anything to go by, we expect to see the centre remain busy well into the sales and New Year period." |
| But it may be that people are window shopping rather than spending a lot of cash as job insecurity continues to dent consumer confidence. | But it may be that people are window shopping rather than spending a lot of cash as job insecurity continues to dent consumer confidence. |