A new menswear shop is opening in Carlisle city centre tomorrow - on what is being billed as one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

Institute Menswear, run by Richard and Alicia Creary, will open on St Cuthbert's Lane.

The shop is aiming to bring "the best in high street style, big name icon brands" to the city.

It will sell clothing from Fila, Religion and Merc.

The premises used to house Stephen Rowe opticians.

Shoppers in their droves are expected to flock into the city today as Christmas looms ever closer.

Store owners are expecting a bumper weekend for present buying with some stores launching sales and offering money off deals.

David Jackson, commercial director of The Lanes Shopping Centre, expects this weekend to be busy but also next weekend, as Christmas Day falls on a Monday.

He said: "The thing to remember about next weekend is that some of the larger stores will be closing at 4pm on Christmas Eve."

He said generally Christmas had been good for a lot of retailers in Carlisle, despite the national picture of retailing being tough.