While Boxing Day had slow sales for some retailers, more shoppers descended on Aberdeen’s retail hubs as crowds of bargain hunters expected over the coming days.
Boxing Day was once a single-day event, but recently, retailers have expanded sales and promotions to a few days to get more customers into stores.
This is why stores like Next and M&S, in both Inverness and Aberdeen, were closed on Boxing Day to allow employees an extra day off in anticipation of the sales rush.
Some major retailers have extended Boxing Day sales, and with Next and M&S reopening on December 27, Aberdeen’s streets were busier than yesterday.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, shoppers were seen waiting anxiously for the M&S store on St Nicholas Street to open.
The same can be said for the Next store located at Berryden Retail Park, where dozens of shoppers lined up to grab a bargain.
Shoppers could be seen carrying large sale bags while walking around Aberdeen city centre, while stores like JD Sports and Schuh advertised sales in their window displays.
While more shoppers were out and about in Aberdeen, it was still not to pre-Christmas levels, where some retailers were “rushed off their feet”, describing the rush as “insane”.
‘Focus on supporting our brand partners and customers’
Bon Accord Centre manager Craig Stevenson said: “There has been a fantastic atmosphere in the lead-up to Christmas, creating a real festive buzz around the centre.
“Many stores have already started their sales, and Next joined them this morning opening at 6am.
“We look forward to welcoming more visitors shopping in an effort to snap up a bargain.”
Meanwhile, in Inverness, sales were slow on Boxing Day but gradually picked up with around 300 cars in the Eastgate Centre car park.
Eastgate manager, Jackie Cuddy anticipated it would be busier on December 27, given anchor tenants like M&S and Next as well as the popular Starbucks shop would reopen.
A Union Square spokesman said: “In line with broadly reported trends, we’ve seen retailers shift their sales approach from offering discounts on a single day to a more prolonged period of discounting in-store to complement online offerings.
“Today, shoppers at Union Square have been grabbing bargains with even more of our brand partners open.
“The priority for the team at Union Square is to focus on supporting our brand partners and customers over this period as shoppers not only look to shop but socialise, eat out and just spend time together.”
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