Shops slash festive prices
Forget waiting for the January sales because half-price December is brimming with early Christmas bargains.
Forget waiting for the January sales because half-price December is brimming with early Christmas bargains.
Retail managers, desperate to boost consumer spending and win back customers who have switched to online shopping, have slashed prices in the earliest festive sales in memory.
But the main savings are to be made on the usual must-haves this month with branding across the high street heralding the arrival of seasonal reductions.
Those who have already launched 50 per cent off offers include House of Fraser, Laura Ashley and Debenhams.
Partywear, Christmas decorations, cards, wrapping paper, toys and other gifts are all now selling at a fraction of their original price.
But there are some savings to be made on the items families would normally wait to purchase in the new year sales.
Electricals are among the sought-after goods which some of the leading names have decided to reduce prices on together with furniture, footwear and winter coats.
The sales come after repeated doom and gloom warnings about the state of the retail industry in the last few months.
Retail analysts have suggested that the start of the half-price sales 12 shopping days before Christmas is a clear indication of the struggle that the High Street is facing.
As early as August key players including Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer Stuart Rose were claiming the industry was facing its worst Christmas figures for several years.
Now it seems the favoured tactic to turn fortunes around is to entice those with spending power back through the doors by offering them a bargain or two as soon as possible.
And it seems to be working. Staff at Marks & Spencer in Telford Shopping Centre reported a late burst of spending on Saturday.
Marks, however, was one of the few not to be brandishing massive red sales signs on Saturday with only its partywear offered at cut-price.
But there could be even more bargains to come, with many of the other names on the High Street expected to catch a dose of sales fever this week.
A quick tour of Telford Shopping Centre proved that there are plenty of bargains to be had already by shoppers.
The top half-price bargains:
The Entertainer, Power Rangers Mystic Force Megazord - £44.95 to £19.95.
The Entertainer, Pirates of the Caribbean Ultimate Playset - £20 to £10.
WHSmith, Nigella Lawson's Feast - £25 to £9.99.
WHSmith, Andy McNabb's Crossfire - £18.99 to £9.49.
WHSmith, Doctor Who's Collected Files 1-4 - £23.96 to £9.99.
Woolworths, Faux Fur throws - £50 to £25.
Woolworths, Tropical Splash Girls Bike - £109.99 to £54.99.
Boots, Mark Hill Ceramic Smooth and Shine styler - £99.99 to £49.99.
Debenhams, Paul Smith London for Women - £49 to £24.50.
House of Fraser, Oasis scarf and gloves - £25 to £12.
Moss Bros, Gentleman's suit - £299 to £149.
Debenhams, John by John Richmond winter white coat - £120 to £60.
Woolworths, Bratz carrying case - £40 to £20.
Argos, Power Tour Guitar Down - £69.99 to £34.99.
Argos, intempo iPod speaker and dock with remote - down from £39.99 to £19.99.
