The "Get On" campaign launched by the DfES, which aims to improve literacy and numeracy skills, is focussing on the seasonal sales as an opportunity to encourage people to get the numeracy training they need. According to their figures, as many as 11 million adults could have trouble calculating what "25% off" adds up to. This is a considerably larger proportion than have difficulties with literacy (up to 7 million).

Adult Skills Minister John Healey, said: "Many people find their skills aren’t up to scratch because they don’t use them regularly or had trouble picking them up at school. If you are one of the eleven million people who needs to brush up on your maths there are thousands of free courses available across the country to help you. Improving your skills can not only make you a better bargain hunter, it can also lead to a better job and help you in many other ways. If you want to boost your maths, call 08000 150 650 for a free video pack and advice.”

One of the government’s top priorities, the "Get On" campaign is working to raise skills levels in 750,000 adults over the next three years.