Boxing Day footfall down for third consecutive year

UK footfall on Boxing Day this year was down 3.1 percent, compared to last year, according to figures released by retail intelligence specialist Springboard.

This decline marks the third consecutive year that footfall has dropped on Boxing Day, which Springboard notes indicates the “lessening in importance of Boxing Day as a trading day”.

Over the last few years footfall on Boxing Day has consistently been around 10 percent lower than on Black Friday, and this year it was 10.7 percent lower, and in comparison to December 22, which was the peak trading day before Christmas this year, it was 12 percent lower.

In a statement, Springboard noted that part of the reason for the drop in footfall is the “almost continuous discounting that has been taking place by retailers this year,” particular over the period from Black Friday to Christmas, which it adds “negates the reason to defer purchases to Boxing Day.”

It also suggested that many retailers have being offering greater discounts online than in store, which it adds “discourages shoppers to visit retail destinations and bricks and mortar stores”.

UK retailers continue to struggle with Boxing Day footfall down 3.1 percent

The footfall decline was less than in the previous two years, but this was due to a smaller drop in high street footfall, which was virtually flat at -0.3 percent compared with a decline of 6.2 percent in 2017 and a drop of 3.6 percent in 2016, stated Springboard.

Out-of-town retail parks were hit hardest, down by 7.2 percent, a drop that was three times as great as last year, when it decline by only 2.1 percent. While shopping centres saw a decline of 5 percent.

London’s West End it seems was the only place celebrating Boxing Day as they recorded footfall up by 15 percent by 10.30am compared to the same period last year, with the New West End Company, which represents over 600 businesses in Bond, Oxford and Regent Street, stating that shoppers visiting the West End on Boxing Day would spend 50 million pounds at the sales.

Chief executive of New West End Company, Jace Tyrrell, said in a statement: “International tourists are out in force driven by the weaker pound, as well as domestic shoppers who are looking for day out after family celebrations.

“We’re on track for 50 million pounds spend today (Boxing Day), which will rise to a total figure of 2.5 billion pounds for the critical Christmas trading period. It has been a competitive and challenging year for UK retail with rising costs and squeezed profit margins. As the largest private sector employer in the country, we need the Government to get beyond Brexit and support Britain’s retail sector in 2019.”

Selfridges also bucked the trend on Boxing Day by taking up to 4 million pounds in sales in the early hours of trading.

The department store stated that holding off going on sale until Christmas Day online and Boxing Day in store had resulted in a 6 percent uplift in trading year-on-year. In addition, it added that by lunchtime on Boxing Day it had also received 1.5 million visits to its website.

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