12/01/2013 00:00
TW
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By Humphrey Carter THE start of the Winter sales was rather like the weather yesterday - unsettled. An official sales launch was held in the Plaza Mayor and retail sector chiefs revealed that they were glad for the rain and cold. “The cold snap will boost demand for winter clothes,” Bernat Coll, the President of small shopkeepers' association PIMECO stated. However, at 10.30am, the very centre of Palma was not exactly throbbing with bargain hunters but the El Cortes Inglés and the shopping complexes reported a brisk day's trading and an encouraging beginning to the sales which will last for the next two months.



As forecast, prices up and down the high streets were slashed by at least 50 percent, especially in the clothing, textile and footwear outlets. Major savings can also be found on electrical appliances.

According to retail sector sources, over the coming weeks, depending on how consumers respond to the sales, some stores are going to begin slashing prices further by up to 70 or even 80' percent - especially those outlets which have mountains of winter stock to shift.

But, there was a word of warning to shoppers to not get carried away from the FACUA-Baleares consumer group yesterday.