Boxing Day morning footfall down 4.2% on last year
Footfall on Boxing Day morning until 12pm was down 4.2% on last year according to data from Springboard.
The number of people visiting high streets fell by 2.8% compared with a 6.7% decline in shopping centres and 4.8% fall in retail parks. Springboard said high streets benefited from having a wider range of hospitality outlets where people could enjoy a meal or coffee while shopping.
The figures reveal that the overall drop was less than the 5.6% fall in 2017 from 2016, but a greater decline than on Boxing Day in 2016 when footfall was down 2.8% from 2015.
The Boxing Day decline for three consecutive years highlights how the day is becoming less important as a trading day. Footfall up to 12pm on this year’s Boxing Day was 10% lower than on Saturday 22 December, which was the peak trading day before Christmas this year, and 9.4% lower than on Black Friday.
Springboard attributed the drop partly to the almost continuous discounts that retailers have been offering this year, particularly from Black Friday onwards. In addition, many retailers have been offering better discounts online than in-store.
