Sales shoppers 'buy goods they won't use'

SHOPPERS have spent nearly £2 billion in the January sales on purchases they don't need or will never use, research has claimed.

More than a third of the estimated 5bn spent in the sales has been on items that are destined to gather dust or be thrown away, according to Edinburgh-based insurer Bright Grey. It said that while men were likely to have spent the most, 57 per cent of women have bought clothes they will never wear.

More than half of those taking advantage of January discounts claim to shop spontaneously, with just a fifth researching prices to find better deals.

Big-ticket purchases are the main draw, with nearly half of those shopping in the sales looking for discounts on high-value goods, Bright Grey found.