In the 'good old days' stores shut their doors on the festivities at the end of Christmas Eve and opened them again on Boxing Day, or even the day after (heavens above), with their brand new sparkly January sale offers. However in the 21st century, we are seeing a new phenomenon, with high street stores introducing their Sales mid-way through the festive rush or even earlier.

But what has brought about that change - surely stores would want to sell their goods at full price when demand is so high? Some of it must be down to the highly profitable, yet highly competitive Christmas gift markets. Retailers these days openly admit that their Christmas trading figures can make or break their annual budgets, with some saying that Christmas accounts for a huge percentage of of their year's sales figures.

That in itself is high pressure stuff for the high street stores - but there's more. In the past few years we've seen consumers leaving it later and later in the year to start their Christmas shopping, and on top of that there's the growing trend in internet shopping - when the stakes are so high, it's got to be a nail biting time for the number crunchers in those head office towers.

So these days we see sales starting mid-season, particularly in fashion, hoping to tempt those shoppers in. And now, the online retailers, often perceived as being cheaper than the high street already, are also jumping on the bandwagon, with a flurry of early sales being seen. For example, boots.com is starting its January sale on 20th December with up to 50% off some big brand names across several product ranges including , photographic accessories and toys.

It could be argued that some people reminisce for the traditional January sale - this self-confessed bargain hunter for one misses the drama of the bygone era of sales; the middle-of-the-night queuing, the mad scramble to get the best items in the right size (anyone remember those infamous pictures of the Harrods Sale on national news?) and the satisfaction of snaffling a bonafide bargain from under the nose of some other shopper.

But, let's take off the rose-tinted glasses - it has to be said that these more frequent mid-season sales can only be good news for the Christmas shopper - after all, there's nothing more frustrating than buying something full price on Christmas Eve, only to find it at half price or less just a couple of days later.

So, calling all bargain hunters - pick up your tote and get out onto the streets, but if all else fails, sit back, relax and let your fingers do the sale shopping online.