Boxing Day retail footfall rises, still below pre-Covid levels

Boxing Day foot traffic saw a slight uptick this year, with a 1.4% increase in the number of shoppers compared to the previous year, according to preliminary data from MRI Software.

The analysis firm, formerly known as Springboard, put the rise in footfall down to increased visits to high streets and retail parks.

However, when compared to 2019 before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, footfall on Boxing Day was still down by 30%.

That suggested that despite the marginal improvement, consumer confidence and in-store shopping habits had not fully returned to pre-Covid levels.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.