A POST-Christmas bargain hunt has seen the number of sales shoppers at Westwood Cross in Thanet rise by nearly a quarter year on year.

Figures for the five days from Boxing Day to December 30 last year show that 88,764 people hit the sales compared to 72,036 in 2006.

An additional 16,728 people through the doors equates to a rise of 23.2 per cent - the results are especially impressive considering that, unlike the 2006 total, the 2007 figures include a day of Sunday trading, when reduced hours saw the only daily fall against the previous year.

Heather Johnston, store manager at Marks and Spencer, said: "We are thrilled with how successful our sales trading has been.

"However, I wouldn't say it has come as a huge surprise because we had a packed store leading up to Christmas with customers making the most of our extended opening hours."

Mandy Hewlitt, who manages Select, added: "The sale has gone extremely well and our new season stock is flying out of the door."

David Plumb, Westwood Cross general manager, said: "We are delighted to be able to report a huge increase in the number of shoppers choosing Westwood Cross as their sales destination ­it is great news for us and even better news for our tenants.

"Combined with the successful opening of the leisure facilities here and a strong run up to Christmas it meant we ended 2007 on a real high. Now we are focused on building on these successes in 2008."