8:33am Saturday 26th December 2009
SHOPS in Bolton are gearing themselves up for a spending frenzy today, as the traditional Boxing Day sales get under way.
The Next store at the Trinity Retail Park was throwing open its doors at 6am as bargain hunters were expected to descend on the town centre to snap up some post-Christmas special offers.
The chain’s other stores in the town centre and at the Middlebrook Retail Park, will be open from 7am, with queues expected well before then.
Earlier this week, retail bosses were reporting steady trade in the lead up to Christmas, and that trend looks set to continue despite the recession and wintry weather biting hard.
The Crompton Place and Market Place shopping centres and Middlebrook Retail Park will all be open from 9am until 5pm.
Heather Crank-Ingham, from the Middlebrook shopping centre, said: “Customers have been flocking to the Middlebrook despite the weather and I am sure that will continue on Boxing Day.
“We have had the snow plough out on the roads around the Middlebrook and staff have been gritting as well so we are trying to keep the roads as clear as possible.”
Debenhams and BHS, which both started sales online earlier this week, will be open from 9am until 5.30pm.
The department store Whitakers, in Deansgate, will be open from 9am until 6pm.
Marks and Spencer will not be opening either of its Bolton stores, in Deansgate and at the Middlebrook, in line with its national policy.
But its online sale started yesterday and the stores will be open from tomorrow from 9am. A spokesman for the firm said: “Our staff come first and we wanted to ensure that they can enjoy Christmas so we took the decision not to open on Boxing Day.
“Customers can access our sale online or in store tomorrow.”
Most of the major supermarkets will also be closed on Boxing Day.
The Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda stores across the borough will be closed, although the Tesco stores at Bradford Street, in the town centre, and in Westhoughton will be open from 8am until 10pm.
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