BARGAIN HUNTERS HIT the shops for the St Stephen’s Day sales today, as stores reopened for queues of people waiting outside.

Retail staff will have spent Christmas Eve marking down prices in anticipation of the throngs of bargain hunters hitting the sales today.

Large queues were reported on Grafton Street in Dublin, with up to 200 shoppers outside Brown Thomas in Cork awaiting opening.

Chief executive of Brown Thomas Arnotts Donald McDonald said the company saw queues outside the group’s stores as customers looked forward to the start of sales.

McDonald credited staff for helping to make the “in-store atmosphere” the key draw for shoppers preferring a bricks-and-mortar experience rather than online.

“St Stephen’s Day is always a highlight in our retail calendar,” McDonald added.

“While the sale is also available online, the in-store atmosphere is something special, and we’re extremely proud of our teams for creating such a warm and welcoming experience.”