Boxing Day saw strongest increase in a decade at 4.4%
Retailers “held up well” over their vital Christmas period, with an increase in customer visits providing a much-needed boost to end a challenging year, new data shows.
Analysts at MRI Software reported a 3.9% rise in footfall across all UK destinations compared to last year, suggesting that the later timing of Christmas allowed for more last-minute shopping.
Boxing Day saw a significant surge in footfall, up by 4.4% from the previous year, marking it as the “standout” trading day and the largest increase seen in a decade, MRI’s findings showed.
Retail parks led the charge with an impressive 8.8% increase, while high streets also saw a 3.6% year-on-year rise and shopping centre visits were up by 2.1%.
The Boxing Day uplift was largely driven by evening activity, with footfall between 5pm and 11pm rising by an average of 9.6% on last year, likely benefiting leisure and hospitality venues.
This momentum continued into Saturday, with overall footfall up by 1.6% year on year. High streets led the way with a 2.4% increase in visitors, while shopping centres saw a slight 0.6% decrease.
Jenni Matthews, a retail analyst at MRI Software, said: “As family gatherings draw to a close and consumers look ahead to New Year’s Eve, footfall is expected to continue rising over the coming days.”
She added: “Shoppers are likely to remain focused on sales, festive events and attractions within towns and cities, and topping up on food and drink essentials, keeping the festive retail period firmly in motion.
“Taken together, these Christmas week trends provided a welcome boost for retailers following a challenging start to the year, highlighting both the importance of where Christmas falls in the calendar and the growing role of leisure-led footfall in maintaining seasonal performance; a trend which has remained strong throughout 2025.”
Footfall across London’s West End during December 26 and 27 rose by 1.5% when compared to the corresponding period last year.
New West End Company chief executive Dee Corsi said: “On Boxing Day, footfall in the West End was up 1.7%, driven by particularly strong year-on-year growth on Oxford Street of 5%.
“West End businesses will now be hoping that that footfall translates into sales, ending the year on a positive note, despite wider cost pressures and a challenging economic picture nationally.”
