Boxing Day sales underway in York as shoppers hit streets

Queues formed outside stores in the city centre on Friday morning (December 26) despite a cold and frosty start to the day.

“It’s just crazy – it’s our busiest day of the year by a mile,” said Graham Jack, a director of the Porters menswear store in Stonegate.

Toby and Paul after picking up a bargain from Porters in Stonegate, York, on Boxing Day (Image: Dylan Connell)

Everything at Porters was reduced to half price on Boxing Day which resulted in people waiting outside before the shop opened.

“We just go straight to half price – it’s our stock price [on Boxing Day],” Graham said. “There are queues at the till all day.

“It’s definitely our busiest day because we do it properly.”

Porters opened in Stonegate last year but has had a store in Harrogate for almost 30 years.

A queue forms outside Lush in Coney Street, York, on Boxing Day (Image: Dylan Connell)

Shoppers were also waiting outside Lush in Coney Street on Friday morning.

Paula, 48, and Hannah Lodder, 17, from York, were in the queue, hoping to buy some of the cosmetic store’s Christmas items.

“You’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket from Christmas,” Paula said, smiling to Hannah.

Paula and Hannah Lodder outside Lush in Coney Street, York, on Boxing Day (Image: Dylan Connell)

Elsewhere, more than 25,000 people are expected at the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet for the Boxing Day sales.

Paul Tyler, the designer outlet’s centre manager, said Boxing Day and December 27 represent the venue’s “most important trading days in the retail calendar”.

“Like Black Friday, we anticipate each of these days to see in excess of 25,000 customers shop and dine with us, demonstrating how shoppers are still looking for those post-Christmas opportunities to purchase high-quality designer brands, with even further discounts,” he said.

Paul said the designer outlet has invested in a temporary overflow car park for staff, aiming to free up around 200 spaces in the main customer car park and improve traffic flow.

He said the approach was used in previous years and had “proved extremely beneficial and something we hope to continue to do on busy trading days throughout the year in the future”.

‘Record-breaking year’ for York’s designer outlet

Meanwhile, Paul said 2025 had been “another record-breaking year” for the designer outlet with around four million people attending the site.

He said Black Friday, held this year on November 28, was the “single biggest ever day in the shopping centres 27-year history”.

The centre manager said the retail environment “remains challenging overall” but added: “We are delighted with how 2025 performed for York Designer Outlet, with annual footfall once again achieving circa four million visitors taking advantage of our premium brand offering.

Paul Tyler outside the York Designer Outlet (Image: Supplied)

“We appreciate during the busy times there has been pressure on the car parks, particularly when the park and ride is at capacity, however our temporary overflow staff car park, which helped free up circa 200 spaces in the main car park for customers has been hugely beneficial for us, and something we hope to continue to do on busy trading days in the future.

“Looking ahead into 2026, we have several exciting things happening, including welcoming some new designer brands and restaurants.”