SHOPPERS set their Boxing Day alarms to join sales queues from 6am, rounding off a great Christmas for East Lancashire stores, and markets, bosses said.

Hundreds queued outside the Next outlets in The Mall Blackburn and Curzon Street, Burnley today waiting for the doors to open to grab bargains.

Small stores and big centres alike found shoppers staying close to home for their festive purchases and sale deals.

Blackburn with Darwen Chamber of Trade president Tony Duckworth said: “It was a good run-up to Christmas for independent retailers and there was a real bustle around today.

“It was a good end to the year for traders in the borough.”

Loraine Jones, general manager of The Mall in Blackburn, said: “We had a really good start to Boxing Day with queues for both Next and Boots from before 6am.

“It’s been a really good Christmas at The Mall.”

Charter Walk, Burnley manager Chris Gribben said: “There were 700 people queuing for Next before it opened today. Traders have reported a really good run-up to Christmas and a really good response to the sales.

“Clothes retailers had a really positive Boxing Day, but it’s been a good festive season for everyone.

“With the poor weather, people seem to have shopped closer to home this year.

“It’s been an excellent end to the year here at Charter Walk.”

Kelly Fletcher, manager at Next in The Mall, said: “It’s been a really good sale.

“We’re happy and we’ve had lots of happy shoppers. We had a good run-up to Christmas.

“It’s really nice to know that the Next sale is now part of Blackburn’s Boxing Day tradition.”

A spokesman for Next in Burnley said: “It was a really good Boxing Day sale. We were very busy.”

Sharon Lond, manager at Boots in The Mall, said: “We had a fantastic sale. It was really busy.

“It seems to have been the busiest Christmas and sale period for many years. It’s really good news.”

Blackburn Market commercial manager David Smith said: “The last few days before Christmas were really busy.

“The traders were really happy. The market had a really good end to the year.”

Oswaldtwistle Mills managing director Boyd Hargreaves said: “The shopping village recorded its highest ever takings in one day within its peak week of Christmas 2013.

“Retail sales in November 2013 were stronger than 2012 and December much more noticeably so.

“Average spend this Christmas seems to big higher and the weather has also been kinder this year.

“Our pre-booked group bookings for visits for January 2014 are their highest levels for some time.”