1.5 million looking for Christmas Day bargains online Alongside discounted items will be "Lightning Deals" - limited offers throughout the day, which are likely to tempt shoppers to keep logging on. Other chains sparking the the online rush include Currys PC World, John Lewis, Halfords, Marks & Spencer, House of Fraser and Argos, all of whose sales begin on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Last year, consumers spent £235 million online on Christmas Day alone, a rise of around 17 per cent on the previous year, and online spend tomorrow is expected to hit £307 million, forecasts by Experian and IMRG showed. High street stores are also hoping the wet and windy weather does not deter a further 1.5 million people from hitting the shops today (Christmas Eve) for last minute gifts. Crowds flocked to London's West End and shopping centres up and down the country yesterday (Dec 23) to make the most of early sales and discounts, with queues building up outside some shops before they opened their doors. One in five Britons are expected to head to the shops between Boxing Day and the end of the year, with a further one in six shopping online, the poll by MoneySupermarket.com found. Richard Lim, an economist with the British Retail Consortium, said the ease and convenience of online shopping was driving growth and shoppers were "increasingly taking advantage of seasonal discounts from the comfort of their armchairs." "Last December saw a jump in the proportion of mobile-related retail queries as a result of Christmas gifts and the impact this year could be even more profound," he said. Clare Francis, personal finance expert at MoneySupermarket.com added shoppers were making the most of the many retailers who were starting their traditional post-Christmas sales early this year. "Bargain hunters who are really keen to get the most out of their sale spend are using the internet to search for the best deals as soon as they become available," she said. The clearance sale at John Lewis starts online at 5pm today, with up to 50% off thousands of products. A spokeswoman said: "The way sales are going at the moment I think there is an appetite out there for customers to look for bargains." And Debenhams said its sale, the largest in the retailer's 200 year history, started on Saturday, with up to 50% off limited current and previous season items from all ranges, including men's, women's, childrens', beauty, homeware and accessories. The retailer expects "online trade to be busy, especially on Christmas Day" as the same day last year saw more than 800,000 hits on its website. But shoppers were also urged to check their purchases before wrapping them up to give to families and friends. The Nintendo Wii U is the must-have new gaming system but it comes with a vital system update which takes up to three hours to download and install. On the high street, the Local Government Association (LGA) warned confidence among shoppers remained low, with some 84% of town centre managers saying it had either not improved or worsened compared with this time last year. The particularly cold and wet start to the winter could also be taking its toll on the number of shoppers visiting town centres, the LGA suggested. Sales :: Amazon.co.uk - Christmas Day will see clearance offers and limited-quantity "lightning deals," offering up to 80 per cent off select Amazon "apps," HD TVs reduced from £230 to £140, and 50 per cent off items such as desk lamps. :: John Lewis - The clearance sale starts online at 5pm today (Christmas Eve) offering up to 50 per cent off thousands of products, including £1,200 sofa beds reduced to £840, crystal-studded sandals down to £29 from £99 and a two-seater sofa reduced from £750 to £525. :: Debenhams - the largest sale in the store's 200-year history started on Saturday with up to 60% off furniture and beds, up to half price party dresses and jewellery and up to 50% off Designers at Debenhams handbags. :: Harrods - the online sale is offering more than 50% off selected women's dresses and men's jackets, £1,299 silk bedding sets down to £649 and selected perfumes and fragrances at less than half price. :: Argos - the end of catalogue clearance sale is already under way, with half price offers on hundreds of toys, up to £150 off laptops, and up to 50 per cent off large screen TVs. :: M&S - the online sale begins at noon today (Dec 24).