Spanish retailers are offering deep discounts in their post-Christmas sales to try to get cash-strapped shoppers to open their wallets as a sharp economic downturn drags painfully on.

Shoppers packed into an outlet of Spanish clothing store Blanco in central Madrid last Monday, the first day of the official sales period, drawn by a 50 per cent discount on all items in its winter collection.

“It is hard to resist, you can buy much more clothes for the same amount of money if you wait until after Christmas,” said 21-year-old university student Carmen Quijada as she examined a pile of brightly coloured acrylic sweaters on sale for €9.99.

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