Shoppers searching for their frozen turkeys forced Iceland on Bransholme to temporarily close its doors after too many people packed into the store.
Louise Smith, manager of the North Point Centre, confirmed the recently refurbished store had to close for up to 15 minutes this morning because of the pre-Christmas rush.
She said: "Iceland closed for between 10 and 15 minutes because we have been so busy.
"It was literally to allow the people who were in there to get out and then allow the next lot in. It was a common sense move, we have been extremely busy."
Earlier, Princes Quay shopping centre manager Claire Suggitt said she was expecting a busy Christmas Eve.
She said: "We are expecting the last-minute shoppers in tomorrow, but expect it to slow down at about 3pm when the grotto closes.
"You always get the last-minute shoppers. It makes it feel like Christmas."
Last week, 299,000 shoppers visited St Stephen's shopping centre – a 14 per cent increase compared with the same time last year, while the Prospect Centre said it was also on course to smash last year's figures.
