The Boxing Day Sale started early in The Exchange Ilford this morning with many customers queuing from as early as 3.30am outside the shopping Centre in High Road.

The new Next store, famous for its now popular sales event opened its doors at 6am for the first time in the Exchange. Early bargain hunters were joined through the morning and by the time the store opened for business there were 500 people waiting to get in.

The queue was long, extending and snaking along the mall space as customers waited patiently to enter the store. Staff in Next, along with the management and security of Exchange set about the system of letting 10 customers in at a time. An hour into trading the queue had grown before the opening of Debenhams at 7am and Marks & Spencer at 8am. Many of the Exchange’s food operators opened early to take advantage of a captive audience.

Exchange Ilford general manager Marc Myers said: “By 9am the shopping mall was positively buzzing as those who decided to spend just a little longer in bed, possibly getting over the effects of over-indulgement yesterday, joined the crowds shopping.

“With an average of 50,000 customers a day up to Christmas Eve we expect another busy day with the retailers experiencing high sales volumes as customers look for the bargains on offer.”