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An analyst said Boxing Day has got off to a “really positive start” in UK retail destinations as early data shows more people are spending the bank holiday in retail parks than last year.
With shops closed on Christmas Day, people traditionally come out of their homes on 26 December to look for bargains in the Boxing Day sales.
A barclays The survey indicated that fewer people were planning to participate in rebate bonuses this year than in 2024 for “cost-conscious” reasons, but retail analyst MRI Software described the early data as promising.
There was a 6.9% increase on footfall at retail parks across the country as of 1pm on Friday compared to last year, according to the group – which counts the number of customers in more than 660 retail destinations across the UK 24/7 via cameras.
High streets and shopping centers have seen no increase so far this December 26, with footfall down by 2.4% and 2.6% respectively as of Friday afternoon.
Jenny Matthews, retail analyst at MRI Software, told the Press Association: “This is a really positive start to Boxing Day, which we haven’t seen for many years.
“This is really encouraging and especially considering that the retail sector has also had a very difficult start to the year.
“So this year is really very strong.”
He said analysts typically won’t see these figures for a few days, and given that many stores are still closed, they’re even more promising.
Ms Matthews suggested retail parks are performing particularly well because they provide hospitality and leisure venues as well as stores, and people can eat or do an activity there rather than just shopping.
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a spokesperson for westfield Shopping centers in Loudon said more people saw Boxing Day as an “all-day occasion” rather than just a day of visiting the shops.
Katie Wyle, managing director of customer and retail operations for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in Northern EuropeSaid: “Boxing Day delivered a strong performance at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City, with early indicators pointing to solid, broad-based trading across beauty & wellness, home and luxury.
“Visitors spend the day between shopping, dining and relaxing and enjoy longer stays in our centres.
“The results highlight that shopping remains at the heart of Boxing Day, but people see it as an all-day occasion with a combination of retail, dining and leisure, rather than focusing on a single transaction.”
According to MRI Software, retail locations in coastal cities have seen a 10% increase in footfall compared to Boxing Day last year, while central London locations have seen footfall down around 8%.
Ms Matthews suggested it could be a sign that more people are heading away for festive holidays or that coastal cities are holding events to attract buyers.
He also said that things have changed in the retail world since the pandemic.
“Before Covid, we rarely saw stores closed on Boxing Day,” he told PA.
“If we go back 10, 15 years there would be queues, they’d open their doors as early as 4 or 5 in the morning. I think since Covid there’s also been a greater focus on thanking retail workers who have been so busy over the Christmas period by taking that extra day off.
“There is also more time with family so I think there has been a kind of change in behavior when we look at pre-COVID times compared to now.”
buyer in london Oxford Street Explained the changes they have experienced around the traditionally popular shopping day.
Jaimini, from hengaComes to the shops every Boxing Day for “mother and daughter time”.
The 45-year-old told PA: “This is probably the lowest we’ve been in God knows how many years.
“Normally we have bags and we think ‘oh why didn’t we bring a suitcase with us to do all the shopping, it’s easier to carry’ but this time we literally got a bag each.
“You have to be more conscious of what you’re buying so not buying stuff just for the sake of buying it and to be honest I don’t think there are as many offers this year so it’s not as attractive.”
Donnell, 25, from south-west London, said the budget had increased.
“You have to spend wisely,” the elementary school employee said.
“I’m always prepared so I always make sure I’m saving or I’ve already saved for months and months so when I come to the store I’m shopping, I know I have money to spend so I should be OK.”
Visa analysis has shown that spending in the UK has generally increased over this year’s festive period.
Preliminary data from Visa Consulting & Analytics’ annual retail spending monitor, which analyzed UK retail spending from November 1 to December 23, showed that total holiday spending increased by 3.6% year-on-year.
It measured in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment and was not adjusted for inflation.