Shoppers are expected to be out and about bagging bargains today with many of Norwich's city centre shops open for Boxing Day trading.

Shoppers are expected to be out and about bagging bargains today with many of Norwich's city centre shops open for Boxing Day trading.

Marks and Spencer, in Rampant Horse Street, is opening its doors on Boxing Day the first time.

General manager Mark Robertson said the company had opened some of its stores across the country on Boxing Day last year, and this year was planning to open more stores, including Norwich.

'For the first time ever we are trading in Norwich on Boxing Day. The store will trade on Boxing Day from 8am until 6pm. The food section will also be open as well as our bank,' he said.

Some Norwich stores are opening extra early for shoppers with Next, in Hayhill, planning to trade from 6am until 6pm, and Debenhams, in Orford Place, from 7am until 6pm.

Both the city's shopping malls are open today and most of the stores at the two centres are expected to be trading.

Castle Mall will be open from 10am until 5pm, and the centre's marketing manager Victoria Merrison said she was expecting it to be busy as it has been in previous years.

'A lot of people do seem to come out on Boxing Day now and hit the sales,' she said.

Chapelfield will be open from 10am until 6pm. Davina Tanner, Chapelfield's general manager, said Boxing Day shopping was always popular and that she was expecting this year to be just as popular as in past years.

'Norwich really is the ideal destination for a Boxing Day outing, with lovely walks around our historic city and a great choice of shops and eateries here at Chapelfield,' she said.

'We have seen a real growth in the sale of gift cards this year so we expect lots of people to be keen to start treating themselves as soon as possible.'

Clothing store Elements is among the stores in Norwich Lanes that will be open on Boxing Day.

David Finlay, who runs the Lower Goat Lane store, said: 'We are opening on Boxing Day and we have done for the last few years - it is usually as busy as a Saturday in February or March.'

He said the shop would be open on Boxing Day from 9am until 6pm.

He added: 'One of the key things is we do not buy in for the sale. This is one of the things that the independents really stand out for. There is no special purchase stuff, everything is genuine reductions.'

The Rock Collection, in Lower Goat Lane, will also be open today from 10.30am until 4pm.

Roger Pemberton, chairman of Norwich Lanes Traders Association, said the majority of the stores in Norwich Lanes are expected to re-open tomorrow. He added that, because of the way the bank holidays had fallen this year, there was a long shopping spell between Christmas and New Year which he hopes will give a boost to the sales.

Department store Jarrold, in London Street, is among those re-opening tomorrow.

John Adams, trading director for Jarrold, said: 'The first day of our sale is December 27 and we will be open from 9am until 7pm. We are not opening on Boxing Day. We just like to get the balance right and give our staff a couple of days off over Christmas, and because we are an independent we can make that call.'

Sports store Pilch and furniture store The Granary, which are both part of Jarrold, will also open for their first day of sale tomorrow from 9am until 7am.

David Kingsley, one of the directors of Norwich clothing stores Ginger, Jonathan Trumbull, Hatters and Chadds, said they would all be reopening tomorrow, with Chadds opening from 9am until 5.30pm and the rest of the stores opening from 9.15am until 5.30pm.

He said: 'We are closed on Boxing Day. We had spoken about opening on Boxing Day but we just think the staff should have a nice break really and be with their families.'

John Lewis, in All Saints' Green, will begin its clearance at 8am tomorrow and will be open until 8pm for the first day of its sale.

• Do you have a story about Norwich's retail scene? Call reporter Emma Knights on 01603 772428 or email emma.knights@archant.co.uk