I remember that not too long ago (well, in my lifetime at least) the January sales started on January 1st. We’d all have a proper week off over Christmas and the only thing you’d need to drag yourself out of the house for was a pint of milk and loaf of bread. Then at 6am on January 1st the hardened bargain-hunters would queue up on the high street and hit the sales for the best deals. Then people like me would rock up mid-January for the last-reductions and scoop the £1 tops and 50p socks.
But nowadays, the sales begin on boxing day! While I’m sitting at home with a leftover potatoes-n-sprouts-bubble-n-squeak breakfast there are shoppers queuing outside Next to get the bargains. And mostly I feel sorry for the staff in these high street stores – they work until 8pm on Christmas Eve and are back in work at 6am on Boxing Day – no holiday fun for those workers.
