Bargain hunters pack streets for the sales
GLASWEGIANS have hit the Boxing Day sales in their droves.
Shoppers are expected to spend less this Boxing Day than in previous years, according to figures from the Centre for Retail Research, but that didn’t stop thousands of shoppers descending on the city centre yesterday.
It seemed sales were not the only attraction for shoppers resisting the pull of telly repeats and turkey sandwiches.
Craig, 47, was out with his daughter for her first Christmas and was keen to soak up the atmosphere of the bustling city centre, while the festive lights and decorations were still up. Speaking in the St Enoch’s Centre, he felt a sense of obligation to go out and support physical stores.
“We’re not actually here for anything specific,” he said. “I’m a computer programmer, so I’d always be the one to say look online for the deals, but you just can’t beat wandering around and stumbling into something”
He said the sight of shops closing was “quite depressing”, and blamed the council’s Sunday parking charges. With a new-born baby he said he found it impossible to take public transport into the city centre.
“Even jewellery stores are closing, if you can’t keep a jewellery store open at the entrance to a massive mall, then retail really must be on its way out.”
Hilary, who we stopped in Princes Square, hadn’t snapped up any incredible deals. The 41-year old, also from Glasgow, had picked up a Gucci belt in House of Fraser and a pair of Valentino sandals from Cruise earlier that morning, having started at half past nine.
Rory and Sophie, both 18, had come out from Fife and were staying in a hotel to make the most of the big-city sales.
Having picked up clothes from Buchanan Galleries, the pair had been queued up outside the mall’s Pandora outlet. Sophie had already been to the Harry Potter store and wanted too get her hands on a Harry Potter bracelet.
Rory said he was just there “as the donkey”, gesturing to a handful of heavy-looking bags, stuffed with clothes.
Taking his daughter on their annual trip to town for the sales was David, 51 of East Kilbride. They had been in town for around two hours, “long enough”, he joked.
Taking the opposite view from others we spoke to, David remarked that town seemed busier than it had done in the past.
What keeps the wheel turning is of course the workers in the shops.
Anthony told us he had worked every Boxing Day for the last 15 years. “It’s a day I’m used to but I’d prefer it off, if I could.”
The 33-year old, who worked as a security guard for one of the city centre malls told us he had seen a decline in high street shopping in his time at the mall.
“A lot of online shopping gets done. I know the Amazon lockers upstairs get used a lot.
“You still get a lot of people coming out because they can’t really get what they want online.
“That usually comes towards the end of the Christmas period.”
He also noted that Black Friday and the day before Christmas Eve period managed to pip Boxing Day for the busiest day of the year.
Last-minute shoppers might be getting the best bargains, too, because that is when shops change over to sales stock, he said.