Retail giant John Lewis is reporting a record online sales rise of 23% in the first three days of its clearance sale.
The sale began at 6pm on Christmas Eve and the figures suggest shoppers may be rushing to avoid the VAT increase on January 1.
John Lewis said Boxing Day had seen the highest number of visitors to its website.
Retailers are increasingly using the Internet in a bid to steal a march on rivals and capture a big chunk of the traditional post- Christmas spending frenzy.
Some analysts think clearance sales this year could be especially strong ahead of a rise in VAT rise.
