'TIS the season to be jolly for shoppers.

Stores, from the ritzy boutiques of Orchard to the mom-and-pop shops of the heartland, are offering their biggest pre-Christmas sales in years in an effort to attract recession-weary customers.

Dr Jannie Tay of the Singapore Retailers Association said earlier this week that the number of pre-Christmas promotions has increased by 50 per cent this year. Many stores also started their sales up to a month earlier than usual in an attempt to spur spending.

Read Tessa Wong's & Jessica Lim's full story in Wednesday's edition of The Straits Times.