Batley outlet celebrates its best Christmas ever
A BATLEY retail outlet is celebrating its best Christmas trade ever.
The Mill, in Bradford Road, broke its own record for festive trade, with January sales still pulling in customers.
A Mill spokeswoman said: “Despite closing on New Year’s Day for the first time we still beat the figures from the same week of last year, making 2012 the best Christmas we’ve had since our opening in 2000.”
The Bradford Road outlet said the weeks leading up to Christmas saw sales increase compared with last year.
Boxing Day was quiet but customers were back bargain hunting before the new year, with fashion stores seeing a trade boost.
The Mill’s new year sale will continue throughout January.
Shoppers and bargain-hunters also helped to give the White Rose Shopping Centre a record-breaking Christmas.
The centre enjoyed record takings and an increase in customer numbers.
Manager Dean Stratton said: “In Christmas week we had almost 400,000 visitors – an all-time record since White Rose opened 15 years ago.
“We also had our busiest-ever Christmas Eve, with more than 48,000 shoppers through our doors and on Boxing Day, some 4,000 people queued before 6am for the start of Next’s sale.
“It’s incredible to think that during the course of Boxing Day we welcomed more than twice the average gate for a Leeds United home match at Elland Road.
“I would like to congratulate all centre and store staff for their magnificent efforts.”
The centre is planning to expand in the new year with plans to include a cinema, four new restaurants and the enlargement of some of their key stores.
Birstall Shopping Park also enjoyed a busy festive season with bumper traffic on Boxing Day.
The annual Next Boxing Day sale, which kicked off at 6am, saw cars queuing back to Ikea as bargain hunters came out in force.
Birstall Shopping Park manager Denis Copeland said the sale was phenomenal.
He said: “It was one of the best sales they have had, according to the feedback from the store, so we’re really pleased with that.”
Mr Copeland said the Christmas rush was happening later each year but said the retail park had had a good flow of custom throughout the festive period.
He said: “It got a bit interesting with December 23 being a Sunday this year, as it’s the biggest day for food.
“Marks and Spencer opened until just past midnight on Christmas Eve and did well opening those extra hours.”
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Weather for Batley
Tuesday 21 May 2013
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