Boxing Day sales: Scots in for a 'busy day', despite 10% drop in High Street footfall

Shoppers and retailers reported “a busy day” on Boxing Day in Scotland despite figures showing a drop in visitors to the high street and major retailers remaining closed on the bank holiday.

Boxing Day footfall was down 9.4 per cent across all UK retail destinations by noon in comparison with last year, MRI Software’s OnLocation Footfall Index found. High streets experienced a 10.2 per cent drop in visitors, shopping centres a 10.1 per cent decrease and retail parks a 6.8 per cent fall compared to the same time in 2023.

Last year by noon, footfall across all destinations was up 2.8 per cent compared with 2022.

Members of the public are seen shopping during the Boxing Day sales on December 26, 2021 in Glasgow. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images | Getty Images

Some large retailers across Britain, including M&S, John Lewis and Next, had chosen not to open on Boxing Day to give their staff a break over the festive period.

Consumer analysists have said that with online sales dominating, bricks and mortar shops are becoming less profitable due to rising energy costs and, for some, Bank Holiday overtime pay for staff.

Heads of some of Scotland’s large shopping centres, however, sounded slightly more optimistic about in-person shopper numbers.

David Pierotti, general manager of Silverburn, a shopping centre in Glasgow with more than 100 outlets, said despite reduced hours and some retailers remaining closed for the bank holiday, early figures showed shoppers were still out in numbers, bringing a “successful end to the festive season.

He said: “Boxing Day has kicked off the post-Christmas sales period on a strong note here at Silverburn. Despite reduced hours and a few retailers choosing to remain closed, early indications suggest we’re in for a busy day.

"Retailers have really pulled out all the stops, offering discounts of up to 50 per cent, which are proving hugely popular with shoppers.”

Mr Pierotti added: “The energy in the centre is fantastic and it’s great to see so many people taking advantage of the sales to treat themselves or snap up bargains. With the sales continuing in the days ahead, we’re looking forward to a busy and successful end to the festive season.”

This year marks the first drop in Boxing Day retail footfall recorded by MRI Software since before the pandemic. The decline is a “major contrast”, said Jenni Matthews, marketing and insights director at MRI Software.

She said: “This could be reflective of the shift in consumer behaviour influenced by the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.”

However, footfall on Christmas Eve was 18 per cent higher in all UK retail destinations compared with last year, she said.

Ms Matthews said: “Could that be suggestive of shoppers front-loading their spending in a pre-Christmas rush? A lot of this could be that people have spent as much as they can spend this year, they spent it up [to] and on Christmas Eve.”

A study by Barclays Consumer Spend also found “a renewed interest” in in-store shopping, despite online sales still dominating. Last year, Barclays found 63.9 per cent of Boxing Day retail purchases were made online.

However, a quarter of respondents aim to spend mostly in-store this year – an 11 per cent rise compared with last year.

Karen Johnson, head of retail at Barclays, said: “Boxing Day continues to be a crucial time for the retail sector, and the renewed interest in in-store shopping, alongside the enduring resilience of online platforms, demonstrates a more balanced and adaptive approach from consumers, which we hope will continue into the new year.”

Consumers choose in-store shopping largely because they enjoy the social aspect and touching items before they buy, Barclays said, adding high streets and shopping centres are the most popular destinations.

The data showed shoppers were predicted to spend £236 each on average in the Boxing Day sales this year, with the majority of purchases still made online.