Get up early for a Christmas bargain

The traditional annual message to “shop early for Christmas” took on a new meaning this week when several shops in the West End of London opened their doors at 7am on Friday. Hoping to attract shoppers with an eye for a bargain many of the shops were offering early-bird discounts.

The company behind the idea is the New West End Company, which promotes many of the shops in the area. It said it would be providing 50 personal shoppers to assist customers with their purchases. Top stores such as Topshop, Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser and Hamleys are some of more than 35 stores that are taking part in the single-day promotion.

Shops are battling against the effects of the economic slowdown which has already seen the demise of long-time High Street fixture Woolworth’s in the past few days. Retailers will be doing everything they can to entice shoppers onto their own premises.

New West End Company’s Jace Tyrell said that this Christmas would be very tough, with already the number of pre-Christmas sales higher than ever before. It was, he said, good news for shoppers who would see some incredible bargains. This early-bird event would be one of many in the lead up to Christmas.

If you would prefer to sleep in and avoid the crowds try shopping online. The ideal place to start is the Seniors Discounts Store

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