This Boxing Day, the hustle and bustle of the High Street and shopping centres seemed quieter than usual. Footfall data from MRI Software revealed a noticeable drop in shoppers compared to last year, with high streets seeing 6.2% fewer visitors and shopping centres down by 4.2%.
The decline is a clear sign that online shopping continues to overshadow the traditional Boxing Day sales. While some stores still welcomed eager bargain hunters, major retailers like John Lewis, M&S, and Next chose to keep most of their stores closed, giving their staff a well-deserved break over the festive period.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor Lorna, a seasoned Boxing Day shopper, this year felt different. Alongside her mother and sister, she arrived at Liverpool’s shopping district at 10:30 am—a far cry from her usual 5 am start. “We’ve been coming every year for the past 10 or 15 years, but this is the first time we’ve been late,” she told the BBC.
Meanwhile, Dave, another Liverpool shopper, joked that he’d struck a deal with his wife: “I’ll go shopping with her, and she’ll come to the Liverpool match with me.”
Despite these pockets of activity, overall footfall was 20.8% lower than pre-pandemic levels, with a 4.9% drop across all UK retail destinations compared to Boxing Day 2023. Analysts point to rising energy costs and Bank Holiday overtime pay as reasons why bricks-and-mortar stores are becoming less profitable, while online shops, with their lower overheads, continue to thrive.
Jenni Matthews from MRI Software noted that while a year-on-year rise in footfall is expected from 27 December, this year’s Boxing Day slump marks a “major contrast” to 2023, when footfall was 4% higher. She suggested the ongoing cost-of-living crisis may be influencing consumer behaviour.
Embed from Getty ImagesRetail parks, often offering free parking and larger stores, fared slightly better, with only a 2.9% drop in visits. However, Boxing Day’s status as a major shopping event seems to be fading. Many retailers now start their sales online on Christmas Eve, and promotions are spread throughout the year, including around Black Friday.
Natalie Berg from NBK Retail believes “Boxing Day has lost its shine,” attributing the decline to “promotion fatigue.” With Black Friday deals starting as early as Halloween this year, she says, “it’s no surprise that we’re all shopped out by Boxing Day.”
Diane Wehrle, an analyst at Rendle Intelligence and Insights, added that for those who do venture out, the focus has shifted from buying goods to spending on experiences. Shopping habits have been evolving for over a decade, with online shopping becoming the preferred choice for many.
Barclays, which processes nearly 40% of the nation’s card transactions, predicts Brits will spend £4.6 billion on Boxing Day, slightly less than the £4.7 billion spent in 2023. As in previous years, the majority of this spending is expected to be online, reflecting a trend that shows no signs of slowing down.
In a world where convenience and cost-saving reign supreme, it seems the days of Boxing Day sales as a retail spectacle may be numbered.
Featured Photo by Sora Shimazaki: https://www.pexels.com/photo/love-paper-bags-with-sale-text-5926462/
