Crowds of British shoppers lined the high street before first light today as major stores and retailers were expecting a bumper day in the Christmas sales.
Queues formed outside Harrods and on Oxford Street in central London as early as 6 a.m. for the bank holiday clearances.
Department stores John Lewis and Harrods opened their doors for the first time since Christmas after staying closed on Boxing Day, and were expecting a massive boost in trade.
John Lewis launched its online clearance at 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve and saw sales rise by 42 per cent with more than four products sold every second.
The store also attracted a 25 per cent increase in visitors online on Christmas Day with sales going up by 45 per cent
The most popular Christmas Day purchases included feather pillows, luxury white towels, napkin rings, LCD televisions and laptops.
Figures for the week ending on Christmas Day showed sales of £97.1 million for John Lewis, up 30 per cent on last year as shoppers made their purchases before the rise in VAT in the New Year.
Maggie Porteous, head of selling operations for John Lewis, said: "We are thrilled to have seen such a positive start to our online clearance and this bodes very well for trade across our shops when they open their doors.
"Customers clearly appreciate our Never Knowingly Undersold commitment and are responding extremely well to our inspiring products, great value and exceptional service.
"We are also thrilled to have finished the pre-Christmas period on such a strong note as the slight thaw in the weather released some pent-up demand.
"Due to the fall of the calendar we traded for six days in the final week this year compared with five last year, however this is still a fantastic result."
Harrods also expected a lift in sales with its discounts on designer clothes and gadgets.
Highlights at the Knightsbridge store included a Marc Jacobs sequinned evening bag reduced from £670 to £399 and a Sony 3D TV bundle package down from £3,549 to £2,828.
The sale, which started at 9am today, will run until Sunday January 23.
Shopping centres around the UK were also prepared for a busy day as the big freeze eased its grip on the country and tempted shoppers back on to the high street.
Tim Walley, general manager at the Bullring in Birmingham, said: "During Bank Holiday Monday we expect to see in the region of 200,000 shoppers visit Bullring as the centre opens its doors at 9am, whilst Next opens at 5am to kickstart their post-Christmas sale."
Glen Barkworth, general manager at the Arndale Centre in Manchester, added: "There's some significant offers on high-ticket merchandise, plasma and flat screen TVs selling for under £400, silly prices.
"With VAT increasing in a few days time the retailers are gearing themselves up to take advantage, they have purchased in bulk and the public are willing to buy."
Model Jerry Hall and her eldest daughter Lizzy Jagger officially launched the Harrods sale today.
The pair posed in the luxury department store's Shoe Boudoir as shoppers rushed to take advantage of the designer discounts.
Mother and daughter both looked elegant in black outfits and trademark red lipstick, surrounded by a tower of giftboxes and shoes.
Some of the bargains included a Herve Leger navy and purple body con dress, which was reduced from £1,350 to £675, a Laura Mercier Mini Souffle Sampler Set, which was reduced from £41 to £20, and an Ecritoire Champagne Gift Set from 1959, 1969 and 1979, reduced from £3,500 to £2,995.