Cheap thrills for the late starters

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Carley Barnett, 22, from Kent, who works in recruitment, said: "I am shopping so late because I thought it would be a bit less busy and I thought I would get some good bargains.

"The sales seem to have come much earlier this year, I have noticed it and I think other people have too. I got DVDs from HMV much cheaper than usual to give as presents."

Kate Taunton, 26, a film-maker from Dalston, said: "I have got really good deals on books in the big shops, they have got half price deals and I think the sales are early this year. Maybe people are getting better organised at shopping so the stores do their sales earlier. I have got about three or four presents left, and I am finding it OK. It is not as busy as I expected."

Nick Peck, 31, from Southend, said: "I didn't mean to leave it this late but I never do anything unless I have a deadline looming, so here I am. I think it will go down more after Christmas. A lot of the stuff in the sales now is not stuff you would want anyway."

Emma Uprichard, 27, from Stoke Newington, said: "It doesn't seem quite so busy as it did last week. I just think it is too risky to wait

right until the end and until the sales come in, I want to like the things I get."

Account manager Levent Mehmet, 28, from north London said: "I am only just starting my shopping because I work abroad and I couldn't do it any earlier. Some of the shops have got some things on sale already but I don't want my girlfriend to think I waited until the sales before I went to get her present."

And 23-year-old Clive Bowden from Ealing said he had done everything in a day. "I have just finished my Christmas shopping, I did it all today," he said.

"I actually came in on Thursday, which was really busy, but I only bought things for myself. I didn't really use the sales, I bought most of my stuff for my mum, dad and sister in one go in Selfridges."

Alex Tusder, 17, a student from Muswell Hill, said: "I have got quite a lot of bargains in the sales. Topshop has dresses for half price and French Connection has a sale on clothes which I can get for my friends. I thought it would be a lot busier, it is not too bad."