Boxing Day sale numbers up but shoppers wary of big spending

Boxing Day sale numbers up but shoppers wary of big spending

Boxing day is not what it once was the Scramble for the most part now an online Pursuit there was muted excitement in Northwest London this morning but excitement nonetheless today I’m here to look for something to wear for New Year’s Eve um probably a shoe tights something sparkly what have you been

Buying today um Christmas cards wrapping paper and box Christmas cards and gift tags all half price down in Smiths all for next year all for next year although boxing day footfall is still much lower than prepandemic days this year it was up 4% compared to last even so a sense

Of caution lingers in the air purses still recovering from skyh high energy and food costs we’ve come to refund because we’ve really got to think about purchase do we really want it are we really going to wear it and we’ve kind of decided no we need to really really

Think what we are buying I have changed the way I’ve shopped this year because money is a bit tighter so I bought the essential gifts for close family and cut back on more willy-nilly gifts for more distant acquaintances and also definitely have waited for the sales as

Shoppers are driven to adapt so too of retailers I think what we’ve seen is certainly more discounting over the last uh just in the run up to Christmas and certainly there’s some very good uh offers and promotions and discounts to be had in here today I think what we’re

Seeing is potentially people coming in less often but then uh you know more considered with their purchases when they are spending their money in the 8 weeks running up to Christmas a strange phenomena occurred with Shoppers opting less for online purchases and coming back to the High Street total UK retail

Sales were up 2.6% compared to last year with inore sales up 3.5% restaurant spending sharply increased by 11.4% along with clothing and jewelry so people are prioritizing experiences people are are cautiously optimistic they’re wanting to spend um when it’s about going out entertaining being with their friends being with their

Colleagues being with um their family as well for the High Street a cash injection was the best Christmas present of all with inflation and interest rates predicted to remain high but stabilized retailers will hope to see Shoppers streaming through into the new year

Shops have reopened after a brief Christmas break, hoping sales will lure people back to the high street.
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Figures updated over the course of the day showed Boxing Day footfall was up by four percent on last year, although overall there are still significantly fewer shoppers stepping out for the sales than before the pandemic.

Here’s our business reporter Amelia Jenne.
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