Millions of people have postponed shopping for many of their Christmas gifts until the sales on Boxing Day, according to a recent report.

Over 3.5 million shoppers intend to purchase presents such as games, clothes and cosmetics when the sales begin, as reported by the consumer watchdog Which?. Reductions began well ahead of Christmas this year with numerous items available at marked-down prices, even during the height of the pre-Christmas rush.

The survey published by Which? discovered that 63% of shoppers intend to buy presents during the post-Christmas sales. Popular products that they plan to purchase are clothing, health and beauty items and also software such as DVDs, CDs, and video games.

The consumer watchdog suggested consumers examine the fine print with regards to returns, and said retailers are not doing enough to safeguard buyers against faulty goods.

Richard Lloyd of Which? explained that financial constraints have resulted in many people intending to use the Boxing Day and January sales to purchase late Christmas presents. He added that customers need to look out for returns policies in shops as well as online to prevent being stuck with unwanted merchandise. He said that people should be prepared to stand their ground when returns are refused for products which are faulty, as consumers are within their rights to return these, whether or not they are bought during the sales.