The presents under the tree from Santa are barely unwrapped but that won’t stop Dundonians queueing up for a Boxing Day bargain.
The Boxing Day sales have traditionally provided a perfect opportunity to bag a discount and get next year’s Christmas gifts bought well in advance.
Boxing Day is still likely to be your best bet for the lowest price tag despite the growing popularity of Black Friday which brought mayhem to crammed stores in 2014.
We all know that Dundonians love a sale so we have opened up DC Thomson’s archives to look back at Boxing Day sales hunts from the 1990s where things seemed simpler!
With no online shopping, the high street had a monopoly on our festive senses, each store in the Murraygate, Nethergate, Overgate and Wellgate jostling for attention.
Generation Alpha shoppers have missed out on the chaos and madness of queuing up outside Next at 4am before going treasure-hunting for rock-bottom bargains.
So let’s go back 30 years where battling through heavy rain to get 50% off Christmas cards, wrapping and discounted decorations was a rite of passage for shoppers.
Can you spot yourself making a mad dash to the tills?
Bargains at Littlewoods
Crowds flocked to Littlewoods on Boxing Day 1990 to make the most of its discounted sale rails.
With a selection of jumpers and other clothing items down to half price, who could resist such a bargain?
Certainly not these happy punters who were soon going home happy!
Advent at Arnotts
Similar scenes are played out here at Arnotts in their 1990 Boxing Day sale.
The giant red signs promising plenty of discounts drew in a strong crowd that day, and the women’s clothes section was particularly busy with many customers buying in bulk.
The queues certainly make it look like a lot of purchases were made!
Christmas in the Wellgate
What an iconic shot this is from the Murraygate back in 1991.
The Wellgate saw 60,000 people walk through its hallowed halls on Boxing Day which was actually a decline from its normal crowds of around 80,000!
Outside, the Clinton Cards store on the Murraygate was rushed off its feet selling their discounted Christmas cards.
They were also selling decorations at a 50% discount which meant many got a head start on their displays for next year!
Bags of bargains
What’s in those bulging bags?
It looks as though these two women walking along the Nethergate had a successful trip to the sales in 1993.
But were they heading home, or to the next shop?
It’s a great street scene with one of Dundee’s classic blue buses as the backdrop!
Discounts at Debenhams
Debenhams was all the rage in 1993 with its wide range of discounted goods.
The aisles were full of Dundonians dressed in their best winter fashion as they looked for the next discounted trend.
These trends continued a year later when store manager Kath Whitehead said they continued to be a popular store at the sales due to the majority of people looking to expand their wardrobes.
Speaking to The Courier in 1994, Kath said: “We opened on Boxing Day for our sale and there were queues outside when the doors were opened!
“Outdoor fashionwear is doing very well.
“It seems as if most people are wanting to take advantage of the reduced prices in clothing more than anywhere else.”
Sporting sales
Do you recognise this store?
Big sale signs were promising big things at this sporting goods store in 1995.
The Boxing Day sale provided families with the perfect opportunity to stock up on all their leisurewear for the new year.
Christmas Crime Crackdown
Employees were on high-alert when the crowds descended onto Debenhams on Boxing Day 1998.
The busy crowds were the perfect opportunity for thieves to make away with some of the sale items.
With pickpocketing and bag-snatching on the rise, Sergeant Chris White from Tayside Police said there would be a heavy police presence in Dundee at Christmas.
Speaking to The Courier he said: “The public should expect to see our officers in places they don’t normally see us.
“For example, high profile officers will be wandering in and out of shops on an ad hoc basis, so the prospective thief should beware.”
Frightful weather
Not even the wet weather could stop the crowds heading into the Wellgate for the Boxing Day sales in 1998.
Armed with umbrellas and their winter coats, the Murraygate was filled with its usual crowds ready to make the most of the sales despite the predictable Scottish weather.
Will you be braving the elements for a bargain this year?
Online takeover
It’s unlikely we’ll see similar scenes like we did in the 1990s.
Last year, the footfall in the Overgate dropped by half compared to Boxing Day two years earlier.
After spending two years at home, people are now accustomed to buying online and its convenience which has seen a raft of high street stores sadly shut up shop.
Things do go in trends however, so only time will tell if the glory days of the shopping centre and these busy 1990s Boxing Day sales are truly behind us.
