Who said it was Cyber Saturday? Shoppers hit the high streets in their droves to take advantage of early sales

• Record numbers seek out cut-price deals at UK's biggest shopping centres
  
• M&S, French Connection and Barratts entice customers with 50% discounts
• Oxford Street and Regent Street traders to rake in £180m from today alone
• Both streets pedestrianised in bid to attract an estimated 1million shoppers

By Simon Tomlinson

Last updated at 8:02 PM on 10th December 2011

Britain's high streets and shopping malls finally saw a Christmas retail boom today as shoppers turned out in force to take advantage of early sales.

Queues formed outside stores as retailers slashed their prices in the hope of kick-starting the big festive spend.

Traders in Oxford Street and Regent Street in central London said they believed they would make £180million in sales just from today after both streets were pedestrianised to attract an estimated one million shoppers.

En masse: Crowds fill Oxford Street this evening after the famous shopping road and Regent Street were closed to traffic in a bid to attract an estimated one million people

Flooded: Customers spent the day hunting out bargains along Oxford Street. Traders there and in Regent Street are hopeful of turning over £180million from today alone

Bagging a bargain: These gleeful girls trot down Oxford Street arm-in-arm with a sackful of gifts today as retailers offered mega discounts to drive revenue

Car parks filled up, and cafes and restaurants were packed at shopping centres in cities all over the country on what is traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Store chains including Marks & Spencer, fashion retailer French Connection and shoe chain Barratts were offering discounts of up to 50per cent aimed at getting bargain hunters to part with their cash.

Queues had formed outside shops such as John Lewis and Selfridges when they opened for business.

Capital Shopping Centres (CSC), which operates 14 malls including the Trafford Centre in Manchester, Lakeside in Thurrock, and St David's in Cardiff, reported that record numbers of shoppers had taken advantage of offers such as a three-for-two on everything at accessories shop Accessorize and discounts of up to 50% at Past Times gift stores.

Festive feel: After a poor November, retailers hope to generate better cash flow in the run-up to Christmas by offering big discounts

All four one: A family gets into the spirit of Christmas this afternoon. Retailers say retro games, electronics and products for the cold are doing well

Trevor Pereira, commercial director at CSC, said: 'It has been really busy across all the centres today and we have seen record numbers of shoppers out in force with cars parks and restaurants being full.

'Our retailers are telling us that retro games such as mini-pinball and Jenga are selling well and that shoppers are being discerning in their purchases.'

Richard Dickinson, chief executive of New West End Company, which represents 600 traders in Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street, said it has been a 'good sunny shopping day' in the West End.

'November was not great for retailers but today a lot of people have driven in to get good winter products for the cold. Electronics are doing well too,' he said.

A spokesman for Meadowhall, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said sales at the centre had started earlier than they would traditionally.

Sea of shoppers: Queues had formed outside shops such as John Lewis and Selfridges before they had even opened for business

Two-gether: These girls show off their spoils after a day on the high street taking advantage of early sales

He said: 'I think that's a UK-wide phenomenon. But certainly that's what we're seeing in the centre.'

Christmas shoppers at Braehead, one of Scotland's biggest shopping centres, also queued up before the shops opened.

Peter Beagley, the general manager of Braehead, said the car park was full and buses were 'choc-a-bloc'.

He said: 'I reckon it's a case of the early bird gets the gifts they really want. People were out waiting for the shops to open to make sure they can buy the presents they've chosen to give to friends and family.'

In Edinburgh hundreds of people queued from 6am in the cold to be the first through the doors of a new branch of Primark in Princes Street.

The first person in line was Laura Hamilton, 25, from Newtongrange, Midlothian, who said it was snowing heavily when she turned up at 6am.

She said: 'We've been waiting for Primark for so long and the store will bring so much to Edinburgh. I can't wait to snap up a few bargains.'

The most popular present on children's lists to Father Christmas this year is Apple's iPad tablet followed by the Xbox and Nintendo Wii video game consoles, according to department store Selfridges.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2072525/Who-said-Cyber-Saturday-Shoppers-hit-high-streets-droves-advantage-early-sales.html#ixzz1gAo5Kbzx