Boxing Day stampede forces shop to close doors
BOXING Day bargain hunters forced a Plymouth store to close three times when a stampede to the tills led to safety fears.
Shoppers flocked to the city centre in their thousands, some queuing since 6am in search of the best post-Christmas deals.
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Hordes of people headed for Next, in Drake Circus, where the high street retailer’s half-price sale proved one of the biggest hits.
The store had to close its doors three times during the morning amid health and safety fears, staff describing the rush as “manic”.
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Next opened at 7am to queues of people snaking all the way back to the shopping centre’s car park and entrance.
Happy but exhausted customer Sharon Davies, from Crownhill, described how frenzied bargain hunters streamed into the store as they battled to be the first through the doors.
“That’s the first time we’ve come in when it opened and it was well worth it,” she said clutching bags full of children’s clothes, boots and a new coat.
“Next was brilliant but everyone was shoving and pushing and running to get in there – it was mad.”
The store’s manager said staff struggled to keep customers from coming inside, and had to temporarily shut up shop to keep within health and safety guidelines.
She said: “It’s the first time we’ve been open on Boxing Day and it’s been absolutely manic.
“I couldn’t put a number of the amount of people we’ve had in, but it has been thousands and thousands.
“It’s been unbelievable, they’re buying everything.”
One group of sales lovers were already on their third trip to the city centre by 9.30am, having bought so much they had to keep returning to their car to drop off more bags.
One of those braving the changeable Boxing Day weather was grandmother Ann Jenkins.
She said: “We waited half an hour to get served in Next but it’s brilliant stuff in there.”
There had been concerns shoppers would be put off by the lack of free parking in the city this year – but that was not the case.
Boxing Day fell on a Saturday, meaning usual weekend charges applied, rather than traditional reduced Bank Holiday rates that people can take advantage of on Monday.
Cllr Kevin Wigens, cabinet member for transport, said: “We took the view, as in common with many comparative local authorities, that as it is not actually a Bank Holiday it would have perhaps been too complex to arrange a change to parking fees for the one day.
“The charges we have in Plymouth favourably compare with those in most other cities.”
Comments
by yummy mummy, crownhill
Tuesday, December 29 2009, 12:56AM
“Bah Humbug of Keyham, maybe people dress and act like that in your neck of the woods, they don't in mine! maybe you should move. ps. i have 2 kids, don't eat pasties and was NOT in next on boxing day. x”
by Dr Foster, NHS
Monday, December 28 2009, 9:03PM
“Larry
Police Officers, Doctors, Nurses, Engineers, IT workers all have degrees and/or other qualifications, and worked on Boxing day.
Why don't you THINK before you comment, you dumbclutz.”
by KW, Plymouth
Monday, December 28 2009, 8:43PM
“Why did Next need to open at 7am? Why in fact do shops need to open on Boxing day?
I took my brother in law into town at about 10am on Boxing day morning, Drake Circus car park was almost full even at that time. I saw people with bagfuls of stuff from Next, probably half of which the people didnt really need or want.”
by Big Gay Larry, Saltash.
Monday, December 28 2009, 6:14PM
“To all those complaining about having to work on Boxing Day, perhaps you shouldn't have sat in school with your finger up your bottom. Get a degree, or professional qualifications like me. You can then get a good job that gets you loads of time off and a great salary too.
See yah!”
by andy cornwall, cornwall
Monday, December 28 2009, 3:18PM
“Sad sad human beings these people who, anyone who cares that much about fashion there in town at 6am is just stupid, I do my shopping on the net anyway no crowds no fuss and no plymouth!....bliss :P”
by Bah-Humbug, Keyham
Monday, December 28 2009, 2:56PM
“Annie, Plymouth; you hit the nail bang on the head with your comment regarding style and class and not looking at the tat on sale. You just have to look around you whilst out and about in town to see the severe lack of style and class around in Plymouth city centre. Why do you think Plymouth has been voted the "worst dressed city" in Britain? Place is full of fat, pasty munching, dole scrounging chavs. (Both male and female!) Why do these obese "women???" think that they look good in crop-tops and low cut jeans or leggings? Who wants to see acre's of flab, wobbling along, munching oggy's, smoking fags and bellowing at the 3-4 offspring in tow? Usually accompanied by the male version, in his 3/4 length tracky's and obligatory base-ball cap....... So you see, style and class are two words you cannot have in the same sentence as Plymouth.”
by Lou Stools, Plymouth
Monday, December 28 2009, 2:35PM
“"sad in my apinion"
Isn't "apinion" something that you find in a gearbox?”
by flo, plymouth
Monday, December 28 2009, 1:51PM
“u people who rush to the shops on boxing day cant have much of ahome life sad sad in my apinion”
by Annie, Plymouth
Monday, December 28 2009, 7:55AM
“Why on earth anyone would want to go sales shopping for clothes i can't imagine. It has been on the shelves/ rails for the last six months at least so it's all mostly rubbish that anyone with any style or class would not have even looked at when it first hit the shops.”
by ian, plymouth
Monday, December 28 2009, 12:43AM
“It`s sad that we have gone from a nation of shop keepers to a nation of shoppers. Sadder still that we don`t have the manufacturing industry to support such a change. Still we can always borrow more and more and more. Give it 12 more months and there will be 50% more empty boarded up shops in the city centre so the remaining few next year will be that much more crowded.”