With the increase in customer flow, are the British starting to return to traditional shopping festivals?

On Boxing Day in the UK this year, the commercial streets were crowded with people taking to the streets to buy the gifts they needed. Although it is not as grand as before the epidemic, it is still much better than last year.

Data from retail intelligence firm Springboard showed that footfall at midday on Monday was up 50% compared with December 26 last year , when several major retailers were closed due to restrictions imposed in the UK due to the pandemic .

But the latest signs show that physical stores are still under pressure, with foot traffic on high streets down 25.3% compared to before the outbreak in 2019, while foot traffic in shopping malls is down 36.9%.

The importance of Boxing Day to the retail industry has waned now as shoppers have moved online and retailers have started offering discounts around Black Friday sales in the weeks before Christmas .

British retailers are struggling to cope with consumers tightening their belts as the cost of living crisis deepens, while their own costs are rising. Data last week showed the UK economy contracted more than previously estimated in the third quarter, lagging other developed countries as households struggle with high inflation.

A survey by BarclayCard Payments found shoppers intended to spend £229 on post-Christmas sales , £18 less than a year ago.

Diane Weir, Springboard's director of insights, said disruptions caused by the rail strike had further dampened shopper confidence, adding that footfall was about 12% below 2019 levels in the run-up to Christmas, but the rate of decline had accelerated due to the industrial action.

Some retailers have started their Christmas sales early this year. John Lewis is offering discounts online from 5pm on Christmas Eve. The company said it decided to close stores on Boxing Day - partly to give staff time off over the festive period.

Railway employees on Monday morning ended a three-day strike that began on December 23. The industrial action was scheduled to resume on December 28 and last until the early hours of December 31.

The current cost of living crisis in the UK is worsening , making consumers afraid to spend money lavishly . At this time, sellers need to grasp the psychology of consumers and launch cost-effective products and services in order to stand out from the crowd .

U.K.

Shopping Festival