LONDON — Boxing Day footfall hit a 10-year high as British shoppers hunted for bargains during the long Christmas holiday weekend in the U.K.
According to MRI, an international analytics company, footfall rose 4.4 percent year-over-year across a variety of retail destinations, ranging from high streets to out-of-town retail parks and high-end destinations such as Bicester Village.
The shopping surge came late in the day on Dec. 26, the U.K. bank holiday known as Boxing Day. In the days before e-commerce, Boxing Day marked the first day of the post-Christmas sales period. Now, sales start even earlier online, with many high-end brands and stores offering up to 50 percent off merchandise as early as Dec. 23.
According to MRI, footfall on the high streets climbed 3.6 percent, while at shopping centers it was up 2.1 percent. Footfall at retail parks rose 8.8 percent on Dec. 26. MRI, which does not measure sales, said the rise in footfall later in the day indicated that people were not only leaving home to shop, but to dine and go to the theater and cinema as well.
An ad campaign for Bicester Village, which drew crowds of shoppers on Dec. 26, 2025, Boxing Day in the U.K.
Boxing Day sales figures from retailers and industry organizations will not be published until later this week, or even early January, and the news is set to be muted as Britons tighten their belts amid a cost-of-living crisis.
New West End Company, which represents hundreds of retail and hospitality businesses in central London, is expecting overall festive spending to grow 1.3 percent year-over-year for a total of 1.7 billion pounds.
The company said 1.3 percent is the flattest predicted year-over-year figure since 2021, suggesting a “normalization” in festive spend and visits to London since the pandemic.
Dee Corsi, chief executive officer of New West End Company, said: “It is clear that consumers are still feeling the pinch and, while the West End’s appeal to visitors is enduring, growth is stalling.”
Michael Kors’ new Regent Street flagship.
Courtesy of Michael Kors
PWC UK believes spending in the festive season will increase by 3.5 percent overall, with consumers’ top priorities being food and drink, Christmas dinner, and health and beauty items. Average spending per adult is set to rise to 461 pounds per head from 449 pounds per head in 2024.
The PWC forecast said 15 percent of shoppers said they would increase their spending compared with last Christmas, while 14 percent said they would spend less. Last year, 20 percent of consumers said they would spend more on festivities, and 16 percent said they would spend less.
In November, U.K. retail sales saw an unexpected drop of 0.1 percent. That same month Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves unveiled a budget filled with more taxes, and fewer tax breaks, for individuals and businesses in what remains a low-growth economic environment.
Selfridges and Disney teamed on “A Most Magical Christmas” takeover in 2025.
David Parry/Courtesy
Marty Bauer, senior e-commerce expert at Omnisend, a back-end marketing and communications platform for digital businesses, said consumers are feeling the pinch.
“They are increasingly strategic, timing purchases carefully and only spending where discounts feel genuinely worthwhile,” Bauer said in a report earlier this month. He added, “It is clear that Brits are still concerned about spiraling debt and prioritizing the quality of gifts, rather than sheer quantity.”
