Credit crunch? What credit crunch? UK spends like there's no tomorrow

Credit crunch? What credit crunch? UK spends like there's no tomorrow

The credit crunch and dire predictions of job losses and a new year economic slowdown seemed to have little effect on bargain hunters yesterday as shops across the country reported no let-up in the frenzied pace of sales.

The rush, which started on Christmas Day, when armchair shoppers spent £84m online, continued with thousands of people joining the singer Lily Allen for the opening of the Harrods sale in central London.

Earlier, the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex said the number of people through its doors was up 29% this year, with the House of Fraser tills ringing up £1,000 a minute in the first hour of trading. A similar picture emerged at the Trafford centre in Manchester, where about 500 people queued for the start of the Next sale.

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But the battle to find a bargain was not without its casualties. Ambulance crews were called to shopping centres in the West Midlands after two shoppers collapsed and another woman, in her 20s, suffered a hand injury when she became trapped in a door on her way to the shelves at Fort shopping centre in Birmingham.

On Wednesday - the busiest shopping day of the year - high street sales peaked 45 minutes after the shops opened as the first customers reached the tills. John Lewis reported average sales of £1,000 a minute and double that figure during the morning peak.

A spokesman said that sales had increased by up to 11% on the previous year in some branches. Brent Cross shopping centre estimated that 150,000 shoppers had passed through its doors, collectively spending up to £50,000 an hour.

In the West End of London there was an 8% increase in Boxing Day shoppers compared with last year, with Bond Street seeing a surge in shoppers of 13%.

The frenzied activity comes amid gloomy economic forecasts. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development says the UK economy is at its weakest for a decade, with unemployment predicted to rise by about 150,000 to 1.8 million next year. The institute said the next year would be "easily the worst since the Labour government came to power in 1997".

However, for the thousands who had queued for the start of the Harrods sale yesterday, the dire predictions seemed to have had little impact. "It has been an extremely good start for us," said spokesman Peter Willasey. "At our peak today we were taking about £15,000 a minute - or about £880,000 an hour - and we have been up hour on hour throughout the day."

Allen, dressed in a black, backless, sequinned gown, was met by Mohamed Al Fayed to a frenzy of cheers from the crowd.

Robert Browne, 29, from south London, first in the queue having waited outside since 11.30 the previous night, was in no mood to be distracted. He said: "I'm after a plasma TV. As soon as the doors open I am going to be straight up to the first floor. I'm looking for a really good price - at least 50% off."

Sales bargains, online and in-store

From the modest to the grand, some of the best bargains still out there for sale shoppers online and on the high street:

Sopranos complete series 1 box set

HMV:

Was £59.99

Now £17.99

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix game for Wii

Play.com - online:

Was £39.99

Now £24.99

Doctor Who Time Travels

WH Smith:

RRP £17.99

Now £10.25

On Chesil Beach, by Ian McEwan

Waterstone's:

Was £6.99

Now £3.49

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Waterstone's:

Was £7.99

Now £3.99

Reebok Fusion Treadmill

Argos:

Was £999.99

Now £499.99

Women's mountain bike

Halfords:

Was £259.99

Now £119.99

Ottori double bed

Habitat:

Was £1,099.00

Now £879.00

Albany wallpaper, paprika/sage stripe

Laura Ashley:

Was £14 a roll

Now £7 a roll

42inch HD-ready digital LCD TV

Dixons:

Was £1,299.98

Now £999.99

Samsung digital camera

Currys:

Was £199.99

Now £79

Portable Ipod speakers

Tesco:

Were £99.76

Now £49.88

Conduit dining table

Heal's London:

Was £1,115

Now £400

Check walnut extending table

Heal's Manchester:

Was £1,439

Now £715

Marc Jacob metallic patchwork Stam handbag

Net-a-porter.com:

Was £970

Now £679

Black Miu Miu men's suit

Harrods:

Was £549

Now £269

Leather jacket

Emporio Armani,

Brompton Road, London:

Was £729

Now £437

Three-tone lace up Yves St Laurent boots

Browns, London

Were £590

Now £340

Wool and mohair scarf

Harvey Nichols:

Was £165

Now £99.00

Gold sequined dress

Alexander McQueen,

Bond Street, London:

Was £6,905

Now £3,455

Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2007