Overview

• Boxing Day footfall across UK retail destinations fell by 4.9% to 12.3% compared to last year, with high streets and shopping centers experiencing the steepest declines.
• Online shopping accounted for the majority of Boxing Day purchases, with 65% of shoppers opting for digital platforms, continuing a trend seen in recent years.
• Major retailers like John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, and Next chose to keep stores closed on Boxing Day, citing staff welfare and changing profitability of physical stores.
• Economic pressures, including the cost-of-living crisis, have pushed consumers toward more practical purchases such as kitchen appliances and essential items during sales periods.
• Retailers are adapting to extended sales periods beginning as early as Christmas Eve, with Black Friday and Cyber Monday increasingly overshadowing Boxing Day as key shopping events.