UK retailers see 40% jump in Boxing Day shoppers -Springboard

Published On : 12/27/2022

LONDON (Reuters) – UK retail destinations enjoyed an almost 40% rise in shopper numbers on Monday after the first Christmas in three years with without pandemic restrictions, data compiled by Springboard showed on Tuesday.

Footfall at UK retail centres on Dec. 26 — known as Boxing Day in the UK and a key date for retailers — climbed 38.8% year-over-year, with central London clocking a 66% increase.

Still, data showed UK retail footfall for Boxing Day was 18.2% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

UK footfall jumped 50.1% up to 12 p.m. on Boxing Day before tapering off, while footfall up to noon in central London more than doubled, rising 139.2% from a year earlier.

Boxing Day was far from doom and gloom this year,” Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said in a statement.

These positive results come in line with the first Christmas post-pandemic without any formal social restrictions and in spite of the cost of living crisis and the rail strikes, which inevitably affect retailers negatively.

The numbers are “very welcome and promising” for retailers in London, Wehrle added.

(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar)

Wanda Rich

Wanda Rich has been the Editor-in-Chief of Global Banking & Finance Review since 2011, playing a pivotal role in shaping the publication’s content and direction. Under her leadership, the magazine has expanded its global reach and established itself as a trusted source of information and analysis across various financial sectors. She is known for conducting exclusive interviews with industry leaders and oversees the Global Banking & Finance Awards, which recognize innovation and leadership in finance. In addition to Global Banking & Finance Review, Wanda also serves as editor for numerous other platforms, including Asset Digest, Biz Dispatch, Blockchain Tribune, Business Express, Brands Journal, Companies Digest, Economy Standard, Entrepreneur Tribune, Finance Digest, Fintech Herald, Global Islamic Finance Magazine, International Releases, Online World News, Luxury Adviser, Palmbay Herald, Startup Observer, Technology Dispatch, Trading Herald, and Wealth Tribune.