Retail destinations up and down the UK were treated to a much-needed boom in footfall on Boxing Day. According to the reports, it was a vehicle miles traveled increase of 4.4% compared to the same day last year. According to Jenni Matthews, a retail analyst at MRI Software, that was especially true this year because of one notable trend. Footfall rose 1.6% against December 27 last year. This increase comes on the heels of a challenging 2025. Surging inflation and other economic forces have created a deadly financial stranglehold on American households.
MRI Software followed foot traffic in more than 660 retail locations throughout the UK. Their data showed a historic increase of evening retail as shoppers attempted to beat the post-Christmas rush to get deals at the stores that were still standing. Activity was highest between 5 PM and 11 PM. In fact, during this period, visits to all retailers surged by an astounding average of 9.6%. In stark contrast, during the recently-passed timeframes between 6 AM and 5 PM (the conventional ‘rush hour’ times) the average increase was only 3.1%!
Though footfall trends appeared overall positive, preliminary data indicated a pullback in activity, with high streets and shopping centers down 3% by 3 PM on December 26 compared to last year. Visit numbers were down by 1.5% and 0.6%, respectively, from 2024. Despite the bad news, Matthews sounded an optimistic note about the future of retail in the days ahead.
“Consumers will be likely shopping the sales, making the most of the festive events and attractions within towns and cities, and stocking up on New Year’s Eve essentials, keeping the festive retail period firmly in motion,” – Jenni Matthews
Matthews doesn’t anticipate the post-Christmas shopping surge will continue on into the new year. Families across the country are finishing up their Thanksgiving holiday hack and preparing for upcoming holidays in December and January. We saw a lot of retailers decide to remain closed until December 28. This decision may have contributed to the robust early foot traffic count.
In addition to retail stores, Matthews suggested that hospitality and leisure venues could benefit from the increased foot traffic during this festive period. This positive result for Boxing Day fuels further optimism in the retail industry. This is particularly welcome, given the very high level of economic uncertainty over the past year.
“This is an early indicator that the retail sector may well end the year on a positive note given the challenging times faced at the beginning of the year,” – Jenni Matthews