Boxing Day sees footfall bounce back
Footfall on this year’s Boxing Day was 38.8% higher than in 2021 despite the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and train strikes.
According to retail specialist Springboard, the number of visits to shopping destinations was up 50.1% on last year by 12pm but the rise tapered off as the day progressed.
Whereas high streets and shopping centres saw respective increases across the day of 44.1% and 40.4%, the uplift in retail parks was lower at 25.9%.
Central London was much busier than last year with an increase of 139.2% up to 12pm and 66% across the whole day. Furthermore, footfall in the capital was down just 7.8% on pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
The results meant that UK footfall as a whole was 18.2% lower than on Boxing Day three years ago.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said: “These positive results come in line with the first Christmas post-pandemic without any formal social restrictions and in spite of the cost-of-living crisis and the rail strikes, which inevitably affect retailers negatively.
“High streets came out on top overall with a 44.1% increase, while Central London defied all expectations with an overall climb in footfall of 66%, decreasing the gap from pre-pandemic 2019 Boxing Day levels to just -7.8%, which comes as very welcome and promising news for retailers in the capital.”
