CHRISTMAS is just around the corner and the countdown is on if you've still got gifts to buy.

It's full steam ahead with present buying and this Saturday - dubbed 'Super Saturday' - shoppers are expected to hit the high street in droves.

In Bolton you can enjoy later than usual opening hours tonight, through the weekend and on Christmas Eve.

Here are the Market Place shopping centre opening times:

Friday, December 21: 9am - 7pm

Saturday, December 22: 9am - 7pm

Sunday, December 23: 11am - 5pm (doors open at 9.30am)

Christmas Eve: 9 am – 6 pm (Debenhams 5 pm)

Christmas Day: Closed

Boxing Day: 9 am – 6 pm

Here are the Crompton Place shopping centre opening times:

Friday, December 21: 9am - 7pm

Saturday, December 22: 9am - 7pm

Sunday, December 23: 9am - 5.30pm

Christmas Eve: 9am - 5.30pm

Christmas Day: Closed

Boxing Day: 9am - 5.30pm

Here are the Bolton Market opening times:

Friday, December 21: 9am - 5pm

Saturday, December 22: 9am - 5pm

Sunday, December 23: 9am - 3pm

Christmas Eve: 9am - 3pm

Christmas Day: Closed

Boxing Day: Closed

Free weekday parking in the town centre NCP multi-storey car parks after 3pm will continue until January 3, in addition to free all day parking at weekends and bank holidays all year round.

Meanwhile, shoppers are expected to spend £1.65 billion on Super Saturday nationwide this weekend as they hit the high street in preparation for Christmas Day.

Some 10.1 million shoppers will visit the high street to spend £1.38 billion on gifts and festive food and drink, while 4.8 million will spend £268 million online in the hope that their purchases can be delivered on time, according to predictions by VoucherCodes.co.uk and the Centre for Retail Research.

The anticipated rush should provide a fillip after a disappointing weekend for retailers with gales, snow and freezing rain brought by Storm Deirdre blamed for lower shopper numbers.

Combined footfall for high streets, retail parks and shopping centres was down 4.3% on the same weekend last year, according to retail intelligence experts Springboard.

Online sales are expected to peak the day before on ‘Frenzied Friday’ as 7.2 million shoppers spend £321 million on last-minute gifts.

Footfall is expected to be up 20% on the daily average on Super Saturday, while Sunday and Christmas Eve are anticipated to both be up by 5%, according to retail analysts ShopperTrak.

ShopperTrak UK director Steve Richardson said: “As the last working day for many before Christmas, Frenzied Friday marks the start of the last-minute festive footfall rush, with footfall set to rise across the weekend.

“Friday is also significant in that it marks the moment that shoppers move away from buying online and instead head into stores to finish off Christmas shopping.

“In spite of retailers offering later and later fulfilment options, shoppers will head on to the high street, fuelled by the fear that online gifts may not arrive in time for the big day, as well as taking advantage of click-and-collect orders, which some retailers are promising to fulfil on Christmas Eve itself.”