Renewed Zeal for Boxing Day Sales as Online Shopping Drives Growth
UK Boxing Day spending is forecast to reach £3.8 billion, marking a 2% increase year-on-year. Online sales are expected to lead this growth with an anticipated rise of about 3.4%, while high streets and shopping centres are projected to grow by roughly 1.5%. Christmas Day itself accounts for over £1 billion in sales, with around 23 million UK consumers expected to shop online shortly after unwrapping gifts. PwC analyst Kien Tan suggests that Boxing Day could benefit from a softer Black Friday period, as shoppers remain cautious amid economic uncertainties, with middle-aged consumers leading the rise in online shopping.
The Boxing Day shopping period is set to attract approximately 105.2 million shoppers over a week, the highest number in four years. Boxing Day is now poised to rival 27 December as the busiest post-Christmas shopping day, especially since 27 December falls on a Saturday this year. Consumer plans indicate about 44% intend to visit high streets from Boxing Day onward, 29% plan to visit retail parks, and 22% will shop at large shopping centres.
Some major retailers, including John Lewis, Aldi, Poundland, B&Q, Next, and Marks & Spencer, will remain closed on Boxing Day. Pre-Boxing Day discounts were launched early, with some retailers offering up to 70% off, such as New Look, Boohoo, and Sports Direct, while others like Next, John Lewis, and Topshop offered around 50% discounts. Retail footfall data shows visitor numbers down 4.5% on the Tuesday before Boxing Day compared to the same day last year, though Christmas Eve footfall rose marginally by 0.4%.
