THOUSANDS of bargain-hunters descended on Stroud’s 99p Stores on its first day of trading this week.

More than 20 people queued outside the former Woolworths building in King Street before it opened at 9am on Wednesday.

About 2,400 shoppers bought something from the store during the day – far exceeding the prediction of 1,700.

Hussein Lalani, commercial director and co-founder of 99p Stores, said: "The response from the customers so far is fantastic.

"What it demonstrates to me is that despite the Facebook campaign in Stroud, people do want a 99p store here.

"Such stores are important today because the consumer is being credit crunched and we can save a few pennies which will make a difference."

Christina and Kara Brisland, of Target Close, Stroud, were the first in the queue.

They woke up at 6am and waited outside the doors from 7.30am with a survival kit including a folding chair, hot chocolate and blankets.

"I wanted to have a look around the shop," said Kara, a Parliament Primary School pupil.

Staff handed out balloons and some lucky customers entered a quiz to win an iPod shuffle, a Nintendo DS and several £5 gift vouchers.

Hannah Poulter, aged 27, of Melbourne Close, Stonehouse, won the SNJ's competition to open the store with a 99-second trolley dash.

She grabbed a respectable total of 51 items, including toys for her two-year-old son Jake, but was far short of the chain’s record of 254 items.

"I tried to go straight down the middle isle but there were some poles stopping the trolley getting through so I had to go around.

"It is brilliant to win the competition – it is the first thing I have won."

Hannah also cut the ribbon to open the store, which is the 110th branch of the chain.