The early start for bargains gave way to weariness for some shoppers

Boxing Day custom was down by 16.1% compared to 2003, according to retail analysts Footfall.

Up to 40% of major High Street stores opened their doors on Sunday as bargain hunters braved the icy conditions. Last year the sales began on a Friday.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has predicted shoppers will spend more than �5bn in the days after Christmas.

Tim Denison, director of knowledge management at retail analysts SPSL, told BBC Radio Five Live: "The figures are quite subdued for the start of the sales this year.

I expect it to be far busier on Monday Alan Jones Bluewater marketing manager

"There have not been so many people out there shopping in earnest."

Many stores opened on 26 December for the first time last year and reported healthy sales.

Mr Denison said the drop in trading this year may be because Boxing Day was a Friday in 2003, rather than Sunday.

Although he pointed out that more stores opened this year, leading him to conclude the drop in trade was "disturbing".

"Retailers don't need to be downbeat - Christmas trade has not been as bad as people feared," he added.

A survey from online bank Egg found one in three people bought items they did not need when prices were cut.

Shoppers were queuing from as early as 0700 GMT in Birmingham

Major stores beginning their post-Christmas sales included Marks & Spencer, Argos and Debenhams.

More than 22,000 shoppers passed through the doors at Birmingham's �530m Bullring complex.

Around 15,000 are thought to have spent part of Boxing Day buying goods at the mall.

Half of the 330 stores in the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent opened for six hours, compared with only a few in 2003.

Marketing manager Alan Jones said: "I wouldn't say it's been absolutely manic, but we estimate that about 100,000 people have been through the doors.

Internet winners

"I expect it to be far busier on Monday because Boxing Day has only been a six-hour trading day."

New figures showed internet traders were the big winners in pre-Christmas shopping, with �400m spent online.

In pre-Christmas shopping, online retailers reported a 17.5% rise in trade over the first three weeks of December compared to the same time last year.

High Street stores recorded a 2% rise on last year's period.