Panic Saturday: More than 12million hit the sales on busiest shopping day before Christmas
PANIC buyers are streaming into shops on what retailers expect will be the busiest shopping day before Christmas.
Millions of shoppers have hit the shops
High street stores have slashed prices in an attempt to coax consumers down the aisles.
Retailers including River Island, H&M, Sports Direct, Argos and Sainsbury's are already offering huge seasonal discounts - with many more sales due to kick off early instead of after Christmas.
Oxford Street, London is rammed with shoppers
Panic Saturday kicks off a £6billion spending spree
Many shops have slashed their prices
Discounts are expected to average 45 per cent on what some see as the most stressful shopping day of the year, according to Deloitte.
Bargain-hunters are expected to flock to the High Street to buy last-minute presents on the busiest day in the Christmas shopping calendar.
12.6 million Britons are expected to hit the sales
Around 12.6million Britons are expected to hit the sales in search of cut-price buys, according to the Centre for Retail Research.
A mild autumn and unexpectedly low Black Friday sales have left businesses desperate to shift a build-up of stock, industry experts said.
Shoppers grab last minute bargains in Oxford Street
The Christmas sales have started early
The Salvation Army Band entertain shoppers on Oxford Street
And thanks to Christmas falling on a Friday this year, "Panic Saturday" is expected to kick off a £6billion six-day spending spree - 23 per cent more than the same period last year when Christmas Day fell on the Thursday.
Shoppers in Birmingham finish their Christmas shopping
Shoppers flock to The Bullring, Birmingham
Jason Gordon, consumer business partner at Deloitte, said: "Compared to 2014, there is already a noticeable increase in both the volume and value of discounts in the run-up to Christmas this year.
"Whilst this is good news for consumers looking to grab a bargain, it is a clear sign that retailers are being faced with what is now an annual uphill battle."