FOR most people, Boxing Day was a day of rest after the excess of the previous day.

But for 1,000 shoppers, it started bright and early at 6am to get the best bargains at the Next store, in Festival Place, Basingstoke.

The annual Boxing Day sale saw shoppers queue along Wesley Walk to be the first ones in the shop. Nearby Costa Coffee opened its doors at 5.30am for those wishing for a caffeine boost.

There were also early openings for Debenhams, near Festival Square, and Marks and Spencer, in Porchester Square.

The number of people who queued outside Next on Boxing Day was more than double the number in 2011, when 450 people came early.

Jane Stewart, marketing manager at Festival Place, said nearly 50,000 people came to the shopping centre on Boxing Day, which she said was more than last year.

She added: “We did expect a strong start to trading on Boxing Day and it was busy throughout the day.

“There was a steady build-up of shoppers all day and there were some great bargains out there.”

Overall, the shopping centre saw similar trading figures to the previous year.

Jane said: “2012 has been a tough year in the High Street and there have been a number of national closures that have impacted on Festival Place.

“But we have also seen some sales growth in other areas, such as with fashion retailers.”