Out Of The Way! Millions Hit The High Street And Online Spending Reaches Record Levels In Sales Frenzy

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1341851/Out-way-Sales-frenzy-grips-shoppers-Millions-hit-high-street-online-spending-reaches-record-levels.html

* Selfridges' flagship London handled 10,000 purchases every hour

* More than 180,000 bargain hunters headed into the Bullring shopping centre

* And spending online set to top £320million in a single day

Millions of bargain hunters flooded high streets across the country yesterday in a Boxing Day sales bonanza that also saw internet shoppers spend a record £323million.

Shoppers queued overnight in sub-zero temperatures to snap up deals after stores cut prices by up to 75 per cent.

The frenzied scenes came despite continued economic woes, the worst snow and ice for three decades, a London Underground strike and reduced Sunday trading hours.

Why are you reading this why aren't you part of the buying frenzy!!!

It's interesting that the Wail has this under the "femail" section are they trying to suggest women are more susceptible to buying more useless tat in the sales than what males are?

Although to be fair the wife will be heading to the sales tomorrow to buy stuff, me I've already bought a few items that I need but they weren't in any sale.

Still I'm sure this is all to boost Q4 figures and no doubt we can expect more frenzy stories as people try to beat the VAT increase in the new year.

[MrFlibble]

Is there really a frenzy out there or is it just the media trying to hoodwink us again?

I'm left wondering if the frenzy will be confined to this week and then tumble-weed will be blowing down the High Street post VAT increase. It's hard to tell in the UK as people seem to have money trees growing in their gardens that blossom all year round...

[interestrateripoff]

It's hard to tell in the UK as people seem to have money credit card trees growing in their gardens that blossom all year round...

Fixed

Edited December 27, 2010 by interestrateripoff

[The Masked Tulip]

Is there really a frenzy out there or is it just the media trying to hoodwink us again?

I'm left wondering if the frenzy will be confined to this week and then tumble-weed will be blowing down the High Street post VAT increase. It's hard to tell in the UK as people seem to have money trees growing in their gardens that blossom all year round...

I personally think it is all FUD - I suspect all the wonderful figures of bumper sales will be downgraded sometime towards the end of January.

[Ash4781]

Well the Dixons and pc world website is still not working after a day. Presumably a tactic to get you in the store.

edit: Dixons doesn't have stores so I'm not sure what's going on

Edited December 27, 2010 by Ash4781

[The Masked Tulip]

Sky is reporting that the British Retail Consortium is saying that stores expect declining sales in the New Year.

Fancy that.

[interestrateripoff]

I went to Cambridge today. I've never seen the Park and Ride so empty (over 600 spaces at 11:30am). The bus reached the city centre in record time.

Next was a joke - not a single person queuing to buy anything (this was at 12:30pm). You could see the sticky blue 'follow the line' tape on the floor weaving its way back and forth until it reached 4 bored looking cashiers.

Hughes (audio/tv place) was deserted. Sales guy tried to sell me a TV before the VAT increase. I asked him if they would be raising their prices in January. He went silent and wandered off....

The high street is clearly in trouble. Don't listen to the VIs.

Is it safe to assume that the clever retailers have already upped the prices took a higher margin for a few months and can safely keep prices the same and then claim that they've held prices and there is no VAT increase?

Did you buy anything or did you just wander around empty shops?

[interestrateripoff]

I bought a couple of birthday cards.

I mainly went out for the fresh air.

Before the VAT increase:)

Your hardly helping Q4 GDP figures are you with a couple of birthday cards!!!

[Saving For a Space Ship]

I can see the high st. is booming from the DSG 'combined/ half & half stores'

As Screamin' Jay Hawkins says

[Ruffneck]

I went to the sales , bought a couple of pairs of jeans.I think that brings my total number of trousers in my wardrobe to about 6 or 7.

Don't really understand the need to buy all these useless technological gadgets though , a good desktop PC and a decent stereo is all you need.They say young people are the ones most concerned about the environment and global warming but they're the ones buying all these gadgets that are obsolete and get chucked in the bin after two years.How sustainable is that exactly?

We live in a crazy world.

[MRMX9]

There is Oxford Street - most of the people running into those stores on the telly seemed to be Chinese - and the rest of the UK. Most of the people shopping in Oxford St and spending most money aren't UK residents at all!

[theonlywayisdown]

I went to the sales , bought a couple of pairs of jeans.I think that brings my total number of trousers in my wardrobe to about 6 or 7.

Don't really understand the need to buy all these useless technological gadgets though , a good desktop PC and a decent stereo is all you need.They say young people are the ones most concerned about the environment and global warming but they're the ones buying all these gadgets that are obsolete and get chucked in the bin after two years.How sustainable is that exactly?

We live in a crazy world.

ok...try taking your desktop PC on holiday with you - hence the need for a laptop/netbook

try taking your decent stereo on the bus/train to/from work/college/uni - hence the need for an ipod/mp3 player

digital cameras, mobiles, satnavs, they all have their uses.

[Ruffneck]

ok...try taking your desktop PC on holiday with you - hence the need for a laptop/netbook

try taking your decent stereo on the bus/train to/from work/college/uni - hence the need for an ipod/mp3 player

digital cameras, mobiles, satnavs, they all have their uses.

Sorry i'm not one of these insecure people that can't pop out to the shops for 5 minutes without needing to check my facebook or listen to an mp3.

As for holidays why would i go on the internet whilst on holiday when i can do that while i'm at home.I guess if i REALLY needed to check my emails or something i would go to an internet cafe.

Can't say i understand your point of view but takes all sorts.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Ruffneck

[gus]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1341851/Out-way-Sales-frenzy-grips-shoppers-Millions-hit-high-street-online-spending-reaches-record-levels.html

Why are you reading this why aren't you part of the buying frenzy!!!

It's interesting that the Wail has this under the "femail" section are they trying to suggest women are more susceptible to buying more useless tat in the sales than what males are?

Although to be fair the wife will be heading to the sales tomorrow to buy stuff, me I've already bought a few items that I need but they weren't in any sale.

Still I'm sure this is all to boost Q4 figures and no doubt we can expect more frenzy stories as people try to beat the VAT increase in the new year.

Me ,I'm in a savings frenzy; a lost and sad savaholic.

I've tried it all, from cold turkey, self -help groups, pychotherapy but I just can't kick it.

I just have to whip out my wallet and I break into uncontrollable sweating, I feel sick and dizzy. I'm at my wits end... what's wrong with me?