// Boxing Day footfall dropped 10.6%
// This year saw the biggest Boxing Day decline since 2010
// High street locations were among the worst to be affected, with footfall down 13.6%
Boxing Day footfall has dropped at the sharpest rate for nine years as rainy weather and early discounting continued to affect the high street.
Footfall was down by 10.6 per cent on the same period a year ago, making it the biggest decline of any Boxing Day since 2010, data company Springboard found.
High street locations were among the worst to be affected, with footfall down 13.6 per cent, while retail parks saw a 5.9 per cent decline and shopping centre footfall dropped by 8.8 per cent.
READ MORE: Christmas Eve footfall drops after “manic Monday”
Meanwhile, Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle said that as the day progressed, performance might improve along with the weather.
However, she said the result reflects how consumers are increasingly shifting towards online.
“This result reflects a number of underlying structural changes in terms of how consumers shop with more going online, the increased spending around Black Friday, the growing demand for hospitality and experience, and the fact that many consumers are still celebrating Christmas on Boxing Day with their family,” she said.
“In combination, these changes mean that Boxing Day is indisputably a less important trading day than it once was.”
Moreover, early discounting has also affected retailers, with many beginning their promotions as early as mid-November, while the rise of online sales has continued to affect footfall.
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