MARKS and Spencer at Sprucefield in Lisburn, Co Antrim, took in almost £1 million last Monday, a world record for a single day's trading at any of the company's stores.
There were thousands on the streets of Belfast yesterday for the first day of the winter sales. Hundreds of people spent the previous night sitting outside stores waiting for them to open.
Mr Francis Furey from Andersonstown in west Belfast queued outside Gilmores Electrics on the Lisburn Road from Christmas night. Portable televisions were on sale in the shop for £15.
Despite temperatures below freezing, others joined the queue.
The RUC were called briefly to the store after tempers flared when several drunken revellers tried to jump the queue early yesterday.
Around 200 people queued outside Next in Donegall Place Before its doors opened at 8 a.m.
There were queues outside the store all day as staff were forced to limit the number of customers admitted at any one time for safety reasons.
Crowds also gathered outside Debenhams in Castle Court and Marks and Spencer in Donegall Place.