Click online for bargains
High street stores in Wolverhampton may have kept their doors closed on Boxing Day but it did not stop me and millions of others picking up a bargain, writes Dan Wainwright.
High street stores in Wolverhampton may have kept their doors closed on Boxing Day but it did not stop me and millions of others picking up a bargain, writes Dan Wainwright.
The Marks & Spencer sale started today but its website was taking orders for clothes and homewares at half price all through yesterday.
So while hundreds of families set their alarms to get up in the wee hours and brave the queues in Dudley Street and at Next in St John's Retail Park, I poured myself a cup of coffee and logged on in the warmth of the Express & Star office.
I was not alone. More than five million people were believed to have spent £104 million over the internet on Christmas Day, up from £84 million last year, as retailers attempted to shift leftover stock.
Some 5.24 million people logged on for bargains over the internet on Christmas Day, according to the on-line retail trade group IMRG, more than those expected to attend a church service.
First on my list was a new work shirt so I logged on to the M&S website. I found a grey, striped non-iron one reduced to £9 from £15.
Sadly it was only available in an 18 and a half inch collar and while I may have over-indulged thanks to my mother's Christmas turkey I wasn't quite ready to go that large.
More success came in the form of a stylish double breasted wool overcoat from the Autograph range, reduced from £199 to £99. My only concern is that I
don't have the changing rooms of the shops to test it out for size and to see whether it even suits me.
The problem is made worse by the next item on my wishlist, a leather biker jacket, which is only available in small.
I tend to fluctuate between small, medium and large depending on what shop I am in and how willing I am to hold my breath.
Bargain
It is a terrible shame because at £99 reduced from £149 it would have been a bargain. The same concern beset me with my plan to surprise my girlfriend with a silver bolero top at £15, reduced from £29.50. Unable to see it up close I have no idea whether it will be the perfect New Year outfit or whether it will make her look like she's been wrapped in the same foil we used for the Christmas ham.
A box of three candle holders at £3.50 were a safe bet, reduced from £7, while the gold rose pillowcases were down from £15 to £7. Finally my hopes were a little dashed by a V-neck sweater advertised as "from £5" but only if I bought it in sickly yellow. All the nice colours cost £9.50.
Delivery costs £3.50 to have it in three to five working days, difficult at this time of year, £4.95 for the next day or free if you order more than £150 worth of goods.
Meanwhile over on the Next website eager bargain-hunters were having to wait until 8am today before they could snap up their desirable discounts. Yesterday there was the chance to get on-line and have a look at what you could buy, but placing an order had to wait until this morning - a full three hours after doors opened at the stores at 5am.
Limited
Doing a search for items, using prompts, like types of clothes or homeware goods, followed by your size or preferred spending level, came up with what was on offer. And the savings were there, but I found that the selection, especially on the more popular sizes, was pretty limited. Perhaps then there is still something to be said for getting up early and braving the cold and the elbows of my frantic fellow shoppers, although I doubt Next would be too happy with me gorging on a tin of Quality Street while I shop.
