RETAILERS in South Lakeland have been slashing prices in the traditional manner to try and entice shoppers from their festive firesides.

The majority of stores open for trading in the town today are offering sale reductions of between 50 and 70 per cent.

The Works on Finkle Street, which sells books, games and art materials, appears to have gone furthest in the Boxing Day bargain stakes with an across the board price cut of 75 per cent in a bid to clear the shelves to make way for new stock.

But despite the heavy discounting, there appears to have been no early mad rush of shoppers in search of the best buys. One Kendal clothes shop manager said business was ‘quieter than I expected’ while another described trade as ‘steady’.

Meanwhile, the doors of smaller independent stores and charity shops in South Lakeland have remained firmly closed to ensure staff and volunteers get a full two-day Christmas break.