EVN/BBC
Queues remain at popular shopping destinations like Oxford Street in London
Boxing Day shoppers are staying away from high streets and shopping centers, compared to last year, early footfall data suggests.
Data collected by MRI Software shows that early morning footfall on UK high streets is down 12.3% compared to 2023, while shopping centers have seen a 13.9% drop in numbers of visitors, before 10:00 GMT.
The provisional figures are an early sign that online shopping continues to dominate traditional Boxing Day sales.
Although many stores are still expected to see brisk trading on Thursday, major retailers such as John Lewis, M&S and Next have opted not to open the majority of their stores, saying they wanted to give their staff some respite during the period. parties.
Overall Boxing Day activity levels are down 10.6% across all UK retail destinations, as of 10am, compared to December 25 last year.
Analysts told BBC News that physical stores are becoming less profitable because they are expensive to keep open due to rising energy costs and, for some, paying staff overtime on public holidays.
Online stores are cheaper to operate and generally have fewer overheads.
Jenni Matthews of MRI Software said a year-on-year increase in attendance is expected from December 27.
She said that, despite the early data, many shoppers were expected to “wake up from their post-Christmas slumber looking to replenish their shopping and see what bargains are available for Boxing Day”. .
The company will release more attendance data later.
Diane Wehrle, an analyst at Rendle Intelligence and Insights, said that among those who choose to visit places on Boxing Day, the focus has shifted to spending on things to do rather than things to buy.
She added that shopping habits have changed for more than a decade, as more consumers choose to buy online.
