London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Boxing Day shoppers up by half on last year but still lower than before pandemic

Boxing Day shoppers up by half on last year but still lower than before pandemic

Footfall in central London more than doubled on last year with increases in all retail settings across the UK as shoppers returned to in-person shopping despite rail strikes and earlier sale starts.
The number of Boxing Day shoppers rose by 50% across the UK but remained below pre-pandemic levels as cost of living pressures weigh on consumers.

More shoppers were drawn to Boxing Day sales this year than last in all retail settings across the UK, according to data from retail analytics company Springboard.

By 12pm today footfall was up 50.1% on 2021, the company's data showed. The biggest increase in foot traffic was recorded in high streets, with numbers of visitors up 59.4% on the same day last year, when non-essential retail was closed in many parts of the UK due to high COVID-19 case numbers.

Similarly, the numbers were up 46.6% in shopping centres and 33.7% in retail parks, Springboard said.

In central London the number of shoppers more than doubled and were up 139.2% on 2021, though the greatest increase was recorded in Northern Ireland where five times as many people attended Boxing Day sales.

Despite the improvement from last year the numbers lagged well behind the 2019 figures, before COVID-19 lockdowns began. Across the UK the number of Boxing Day shoppers are down 30.5% from the pre-pandemic year.

The gap between 2019 levels is lowest in central London, where the difference narrowed to 22.5% fewer shoppers this year than three years ago.

The overall rise in shoppers was witnessed more acutely in the east of England and in the greater London region where footfall was up as much as a third on other parts of the UK.

Before Christmas, footfall had been lower as rail strikes and snow deterred shoppers, official figures showed.

In the week up to 18 December, overall footfall dropped by 6% on the previous week and 23% of the 2019 level, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) said, quoting Springboard data.

High streets were the worst affected, with footfall down 12% during the seven days up to 18 December, from the week earlier.

During the week from Monday 12 December two 48 hour rail strikes took place, on 13, 14, 15 and 16 December.

Sales also began earlier this year with many major retailers discounting products before the traditional Boxing Day date.

Both Debenhams and John Lewis department stores rolled out price reductions a week ahead of normal schedule. Online retailer Asos also cut prices in advance of 26 December.

While snow has thawed, rail strikes are continuing and will last until 29 December. They will begin again in the new year on 3 to 7 January as the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport workers seeks improvements in pay and guarantees on jobs and conditions.

There was a surprise fall in retail sales recorded in November as shoppers remained cautious due to increased prices from inflation in the run-up to Christmas. Inflation stood at 10.7% in November.

The Office for National Statistics reported a fall in sales volumes of 0.3% compared to October when the effects of fuel sales were excluded.

Growth of 0.3% was expected by economists given reports of healthy interest, and spending, on goods during the key bargain-hunting period of Black Friday.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×