Record numbers of shoppers hit Birmingham's Bullring
BARGAIN hunters have been out in force for the post-Christmas sales rush with record numbers hitting Birmingham’s Bullring.
Figures revealed it had seen 228,456 people spending their cash this Boxing Day compared with 189,685 last year.
Frenzied shoppers cleared out the handbag department in Selfridges within ten minutes and queued to get inside the Next store from 7am until 1pm.
Spokeswoman Louise Hamer-Brown said: “People are certainly shopping in earnest and the retailers have been performing very well with double digit increases and footfall up so it’s all good news.”
Outside the city centre, cars queued along Fort Parkway to bag a parking place at the Fort shopping centre where big name stores were pulling in the crowds.
Centre bosses at Merry Hill said it was “extremely busy” and footfall was also up on last year’s figures.
Spokeswoman Liz Taylor said of trading yesterday: “Customers were queuing at 7am for the M&S sale and car parks were full on opening at 11am, we are anticipating a very successful day.”
Housewife Cheryl Jones, aged 33, from Stechford, bought a designer hoodie reduced from £50 to £29.99 and a cashmere jumper down from £40 to £15, at the Fort.
She said: “There’s not that many people in jobs now and money’s tight so you’re out for a bargain.”
Jane Piggott-Smith, aged 45, a manager at Worcester City Council who lives in Erdington, said: “I got a winter coat that was half price, boots that were 70 per cent off and a jumper that was half price. I needed the coat and jumper. I didn’t need the boots, but I’ve got a bit of a boot thing and it’s hard to turn down a bargain.”
Retired Maureen Binnell, aged 69, from Coleshill was out buying woolies with her husband Michael, aged 73. She said: “The sales have been good value and are the only time I buy. I never pay full price for anything.”
Magician Gordon Drayson, aged 36, was enjoying Brum’s bargains during a visit from London, with his nine-year-old son Taylor. He said: “We like it here because we like boy-shopping and we’ve sent mum off. It’s got all the clothes shops and all the boy shops like HMV and WH Smith’s.”
Transport administrator Richard Axford, aged 36, from Castle Bromwich, was chuffed to have bagged Guitar Hero for £30 instead of £80 while shopping with his children.
He said: “Because it was less than half price I thought it was fair enough and I’d get it for the family.”
* Did you find a bargain? Email letters@birminghammail.net
