Overview
- Barclays forecasts about £3.6 billion in Boxing Day spending, with participation down to roughly 26% but average spend per shopper rising to around £253.
- Early footfall data showed retail parks up 6.9% year on year by early afternoon, while high streets and shopping centres were down around 2% to 3%, with later readings narrowing the declines to 1.5% and 0.6% respectively.
- Several major chains closed or limited Boxing Day trading, including Home Bargains, The Range, John Lewis/Waitrose and Next (in-store sale from Dec 27), while Primark opened on reduced hours and B&M traded as normal.
- Large queues formed at destinations such as Bicester Village and Manchester’s Trafford Centre as retailers touted steep promotions, with some advertised markdowns reaching up to 70%.
- Two in five shoppers report using AI or smart tools to hunt deals, and consumer groups warned of AI‑assisted shopping scams, with Australian banking data indicating about $40 million lost to buying and selling scams over the past year.