LONDON -- Partygoers kicking off Christmas holidays in so-called "Mad Friday" are taking their hangovers to the shops in "Panic Saturday" in a hunt for bargains.
Retailers are expected to start their January sales early as Black Friday discounts didn't shift as much stock as they hoped, the BBC reported.
Around 12.6 million Britons are expected to hit the streets today, according to the Centre for Retail Research. They can expect to see discounts of 45% on average, according to accountancy firm Deloitte, and retailers like River Island and H&M have already started their sales.
The crowds and jostling surely won't feel great to those suffering from overindulgence on Mad Friday -- which has also been called Black Eye Friday and Booze Black Friday variously in the UK press.
In the Friday before Christmas last year, alcohol sales rose by 142% in pubs, clubs and restaurants, with even more sales in supermarkets.
The annual takeover of bars, pubs and clubs by those seeking to kick off their holiday break with a hangover has apparently not resulted in as many alcohol-related arrests as feared, according to the BBC. But police and emergency crews certainly had their hands full.
Chris Wood, from an ambulance service in Birmingham, told the BBC: "Last night we saw 20% more workload than last year. Certainly a great deal were drink-related - we saw about 50 patients in Birmingham city centre who were all alcohol-related."
Manchester Police saw things get rowdier as the night wore on:
As of 9.30pm, incidents recorded are up 12% on last Friday.Calls are also getting louder,judging by the raised volume in the room #madfriday— G M Police (@gmpolice) December 18, 2015
Public Health England has pleaded with people to drink responsibly over the holiday period and to join their "Dry January" campaign to abstain from alcohol for the month.