Huddersfield shoppers join rush to the sales

Dec 28 2009 by Neil Atkinson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

BARGAIN hunters crammed into Kingsgate shopping centre yesterday to take advantage of the post-Christmas sales.

Thousands of shoppers defied the recession to find the perfect deal.

Branches of House of Fraser, HMV, New Look, River Island, Waterstones and other national chains brimmed with people hoping to make the most of sales – some of which began on Boxing Day.

The picture was the same across the country as millions of shoppers swarmed on retail centres across the country.

Rivals John Lewis and Marks & Spencer, including the Huddersfield store on King Street, stayed shut on Boxing Day but joined the fray on Sunday.

This year’s sales rush showed a huge increase in confidence in the country’s economy from a year earlier, in the worst depths of the recession.

Initial footfall figures for Boxing Day from market data firm Experian showed an 18.5% jump in the number of shoppers compared with last year.

Many will also bring forward spending to beat the VAT hike on January 1.