The traditional Boxing Day sales rush on Britain's high streets showed signs of waning this year, as new data reveals a clear shift in shopper behaviour towards more convenient, out-of-town destinations.
High Streets and Shopping Centres See Visitor Decline
According to figures from the monitoring company MRI Software, overall footfall across all UK retail destinations slipped by 0.3% on Friday morning compared to the same period last year. The decline was more pronounced on the nation's high streets, which saw 2.4% fewer visitors, while shopping centres experienced a 2.6% slide in numbers.
This continues a trend from 2024, indicating a longer-term move away from the traditional Boxing Day scramble in town and city centres. The drop was particularly stark in central London, where footfall plummeted by 7.7% year-on-year, a much sharper fall than the 3.4% average decline recorded in other major cities across the country.
Retail Parks and Coastal Towns Buck the Trend
In a significant contrast, retail parks enjoyed a substantial surge in popularity. These out-of-town locations, favoured for their car accessibility and often free parking, recorded a 6.9% increase in visitors on Boxing Day morning.
Jenni Matthews, Marketing and Insights Director at MRI Software, suggested this could be an "encouraging start to Boxing Day", indicating that shoppers were keen to "brush off the festive cobwebs" and hunt for bargains earlier than anticipated.
Meanwhile, coastal towns saw a remarkable 10% rise in footfall, as consumers looked to combine a shopping trip with a day out. Outer London also reported a near 4% increase in visitor numbers.
Online Shift and a Challenging Retail Climate
The move away from the high street is partly driven by the continued migration of the post-Christmas sales online. Major retailers like Marks & Spencer and Next offered discounts of up to 50% online from Christmas Day itself, with in-store reductions not starting until Saturday.
Retailers have faced a difficult trading year in 2025, with persistent high living costs causing many consumers to rein in spending. Uncertainty ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves's November budget also dampened confidence at the start of the crucial Christmas trading period.
Clive Black of Shore Capital noted that mild autumn weather led to weaker sales of seasonal items like jumpers and coats. Furthermore, many large chains, including New Look and Sports Direct, began advertising discounts of up to 70% before Christmas, diluting the Boxing Day event.
Despite the pressures, Barclays data suggests the average shopper's budget for the end-of-year sales rose to £253, up from £236 in 2024. However, it is predicted that fewer people overall will participate. Nationwide, spending on Boxing Day was expected to hit £3.6bn, aided by shoppers using AI to find deals, though this is £1bn lower than 2024's estimate.
