London receives Boxing Day footfall boost

While overall Boxing Day footfall was down for a third consecutive year, London’s West End recorded footfall up by 15 percent by 10.30am compared to the same period last year.

According to New West End Company, which represents over 600 businesses in Bond, Oxford and Regent Street, shoppers visiting the West End on Boxing Day will 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.