Boxing Day retail footfall is expected to rise by 2% this year compared to 2023, according to new data from analytics company RetailNext.
Its data showed that footfall on Super Saturday (21 December) jumped 2.2% year-on-year due to early Boxing Day discounts.
Furthermore, RetailNext reported that store visits on 22 December saw a 26.2% rise compared to the Sunday of Panic Weekend 2023 (the last weekend of shopping before Christmas).
The analytics specialist explained that the dramatic uptick this year was due to Christmas Eve falling on Panic Weekend last year, as stores usually operate at reduced hours on 25th December.
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It also reported that shopper counts rose 3.05% compared to the previous weekend.
The sector that proved most popular with consumers over the weekend was fashion, with a 7.6% year-on-year rise compared to Super Saturday last year.
London also proved to be a popular shopping destination with shopper counts increasing by 4% when compared to 2023.
RetailNext said it expected footfall to continue to rise today (23 December) as it is the last full day of shopping before Christmas.
RetailNext head of sales EMEA & APAC Gary Whittemore said: “The crunch time is on – for both shoppers and retailers – and we expect in-store footfall to continue to build and build today as consumers tick off any final gifts or pick up last-minute purchases from the remaining click-and-collect windows.
“While our data indicates today will be another very busy in-store shopping day, perhaps the biggest boost in footfall of the season is yet to come, with Boxing Day expected to top footfall performance, rising even higher than the levels already seen on Super Saturday.”
