Festive rush starts

Sales of Christmas decorations at Hollinwood store Housing Units are proving popular among savvy seasonal shoppers.

One enthusiastic Oldham woman spent over £4,000 on decorations during a visit to the Failsworth store last week. Sales of Christmas decorations have already exceeded the numbers sold this time last year.

The family-owned furnishings retailer, established in 1947, launched its 2010 festive department 106 days before Santa is due and has 3,500 square feet of floor-space dedicated to Christmas trees, decorations and accessories.

Nick Fox, director, said: “People seem to want a really grand Christmas this year, in every meaning of the word, with many families turning the decoration of the house into an event in its own right.”