RETAILERS welcomed a massive boost yesterday as bargain-hungry shoppers flocked to stores in the Boxing Day sales.

Thousands of consumers queued outside shops prior to them opening in a bid to secure the best deals, while some stores continued to see lines of people outside throughout the day.

Clothing giant Next opened its doors at 6am, offering customers at least 50% off everything in sale, while Marks & Spencer traded on Boxing Day for the first time in years.

Shopping centres and retailers throughout the country reported massive shopper numbers, with some claiming to be even busier than last year.

Susan Nicol, general manager of St Enoch Centre, Glasgow, said: "With stores like Debenhams opening at 7am, the savvy shoppers were hitting the shops early to catch the best deals.

"We anticipate that by the end of the day approximately 90,000 shoppers will have come through St Enoch Centre. This is up on last year's Boxing Day sales and in line with the increase in footfall experienced throughout 2011."

Silverburn shopping centre, also in Glasgow, reported that more than 1500 shoppers queued outside Next from 5am, with a further 150 outside Marks & Spencer and 300 outside Debenhams.

A total of 52,000 shoppers visited the mall yesterday.

Centre director David Pierotti said: "Despite some stores going into sale before Christmas, the deepest reductions were saved for the 26th. Silverburn was anticipating large numbers of shoppers based on our sales of Silverburn gift cards, which were up 24% on last year.

"This is a trend we have seen grow over the past three years with loved ones preferring to give gift cards rather than splurging on unwanted gifts."

Peter Beagley, general manager at Braehead shopping centre, added: "It's a tradition that people come out to the shops on Boxing Day and this year is no different. The number of shoppers coming to Braehead on Boxing Day is up on last year and we're expecting this trend to continue."

Elsewhere, staff at Union Square shopping centre in Aberdeen said they had an "unbelievably" busy day.

The mall, which recorded its busiest week since opening in the run-up to Christmas with over 355,000 shoppers, had queues outside Next and New Look early in the morning, with lines outside Apple, Hollister and Zara later in the day.

Centre Manager Ryan Manson said: "Since we opened the doors this morning, bargain-hunters have been out in force, suggesting the in-store discounts and post-Christmas sales are generating lots of interest.

"Big-ticket items such as laptops and tablet computers have proved hugely popular.

"The week ahead looks set to be another busy one as people start to pick up New Year party essentials and continue to snap up sale bargains."

Craig Stevenson, manager at Aberdeen's Bon Accord & St Nicholas centre, added he expected another influx of shoppers today with the start of the John Lewis sale.

He said: "Bargain-hunters have been coming in their droves and thousands of visitors have been streaming through the centre and there is a great buzz about the place.

"We expect this will continue with the start of the John Lewis clearance sale which always draws in large numbers of shoppers."

In Edinburgh, retailers were also experiencing one of the busiest shopping days of the festive season.

Andy Neal, chief executive of Essential Edinburgh, said: "We're expecting Boxing Day to be one of the busiest shopping days this season as people hit the shops on the lookout for the very best bargains– and there will be lots of them.

"The majority of stores in and around the city will be cutting their prices even further, offering shoppers fantastic deals and savings."

Several retailers have also seen an increase in online sales, with many opening their sales online on Christmas Day.

Debenhams reported a spike of 75% on Christmas Day website traffic compared with last year. A spokeswoman for the retail giant said customers were enjoying the opportunity to pick up bargains without leaving home.