Shoppers hit the stores this morning as they tried to bag a Boxing Day bargain.
Disdaining the attractions of rival cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, hundreds of people were out in the crisp Huddersfield air, wallets at the ready.
Some queued from 4am outside the Next store at the Great Northern Retail Park.
Others chose Huddersfield’s Kingsgate Centre where bosses said they had enjoyed a “steady” trade during the day.
A middle-aged motor engineer called Jeremy from Thornhill, Dewsbury, said: “My wife Julie and I normally go to Leeds but we thought we thought we would come to Huddersfield as a one-off for the sales.
“Originally we went to Next on Leeds Road but it was absolutely chockful, so we came to the Next in the Kingsgate Centre and that was a lot better though a lot of the stuff in my size had gone so we went to House of Fraser. We have done OK. Julie has bought some blouses and jumpers.”
There was an odd feel to the town centre with many of the stores shut though shoppers appeared largely contented with the choice on offer.
Boots was busy with customers anxious to get their hands on the many bargains available with “an up to half price sale” while the menswear shop Greenwoods offered up to 70% off items.
And there was an end of an era feel to one of the town’s best-known fashion stores, with shoppers in Peter’s, in King Street, which announced earlier this year that it would be closing down after more than 30 years and moving to new premises in the Packhorse Centre.
Stores offering electrical items proved popular too with a steady steam of visitors busy scouring Curry’s shelves for must have items.
Not everyone was out to shop though. One middle-aged woman enjoying a cigarette and a cup of coffee in Costa, New Street, said she had come out to get some fresh air, oblivious to the irony.
Elsewhere, hundreds queued outside the Next stores in Newcastle’s Eldon Square and the Metrocentre, Gateshead, as doors opened at 6am. Boxing Day traditionally sees millions of people across the country raiding shops as they hunt for a bargain, with many stores offering whopping discounts.
Bargain hunters could be seen racing into stores to get the best deal, scenes similar to those of the ‘Black Friday’ craze in November.
Check out our sales guide that could help you bag a bargain online or in the shops here.
