Boxing Day footfall dropped this year as shoppers switched up their post-Christmas spending habits.
Overall footfall was down 7.6% compared to last year, while high street footfall slumped 9.6%, according to data from MRI Software.
Shopper numbers across retail parks slipped 6.1%, and was down 5.1% across shopping centres by 8pm compared to 26 December 2023.
The fall comes as some retailers such as M&S and Next chose to keep their stores closed during the bank holiday this year.
John Lewis also shut its standalone stores on Boxing Day, with only its Trafford and Stratford shopping centre shops remaining open.
Coastal towns experienced the biggest decline, with footfall slumping 20%. Meanwhile, it dipped 7.6% across central London and 2.2% in market towns.
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MRI Software analyst Jenni Matthews said: “The growing presence of online shopping continues to reshape spending habits.
“Many retailers kicked off their Boxing Day sales online [on Christmas Day], providing shoppers with the opportunity to grab early bargains from the comfort of their own home.”
She added: “This is further supported by MRI Software’s consumer pulse report, which identified that 53% of shoppers planned to complete at least half of their Christmas shopping online; a trend which may well continue into the period between Christmas and [the] new year.”
The software company analyst noted footfall was forecast to increase again on 27 December as more stores reopened.
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