Boxing Day was an “extraordinary day” for all UK retail destinations as data shows shopper footfall rose 4.4% on last year, making it the strongest rise in more than a decade, industry analysts said.
The retail sector can end the year on a “positive note” as shoppers flocked to high streets, retail parks and shopping centers on December 26.
With shops closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day traditionally sees people leave their homes to hunt for bargains in the sales.
While there was a slow start for high streets and shopping centres, there was a “spike” in visits to UK retail destinations between 5pm and 11pm, according to retail analysts MRI Software, which counts visits to more than 660 retail destinations across the UK 24/7 via cameras.
High streets enjoyed a 3.6% increase in footfall last Boxing Day, while retail parks saw an 8.8% increase.
Shopping centers recorded a 2.1% increase in footfall on December 26, 2024.
Jenni Matthews, retail analyst at MRI Software, told the Press Association: “We saw a slow start to the day for high streets and shopping centres.
“Retail parks saw a rise quite early and that could reflect the type of shops that were open on those sites, so some supermarkets were open and some were not.
“The fact that much of the increase occurred during the evening period suggests that people may have been out for leisure activities or a bite to eat, or making the most of the events and attractions still taking place in some towns and cities across the UK.”
While supermarkets such as Sainsbury's and Tesco were open on Boxing Day, Marks and Spencer, Aldi and Lidl, among others, were closed.
Matthews said the 4.4% footfall increase over last year is “the strongest increase seen in more than 10 years.”
He said the UK experienced a “slow build up” until Christmas Eve but saw a “huge boost” in footfall on December 24, suggesting some shoppers may have “left it to the last minute”.
The analyst said many people did their Christmas shopping in early November.
The increase in activity on Boxing Day was said to be due to a “peak in footfall” to all UK retail destinations between 5pm and 11pm, with an average increase of 9.6% on last year.
This compares with an average increase of 3.1% on Boxing Day 2024 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Coastal cities saw a 16.1% increase in traffic, which may be due to events such as markets held on main streets, according to Matthews.
“It's probably due to events because we know many shops were still closed yesterday,” Ms Matthews added.
Ms Matthews said that overall December 26 “proved to be an excellent day for all UK retail destinations”.
“Given that several stores remain closed and have not reopened as of today, it is likely that leisure and hospitality establishments have benefited from the annual increase,” he added.
“This is an early indicator that the retail sector could well end the year on a positive note given the difficult times we faced at the start of the year.”
