- The number of people taking advantage of post-Christmas sales on Monday fell by 32% compared with 2019, new data shows, amid persistent Covid concerns.
- Retail analyst Springboard said footfall figures were better than Boxing Day.
- That contrasted with a sharp drop in footfall on High Streets, down 40.1% in 2019, and in shopping centres, which recorded a 38.8% decline.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland also brought in similar rules from Monday.
In the wake of ongoing Covid worries, the number of consumers taking advantage of post-Christmas deals on Monday plummeted by 32% compared to 2019 as reported by BBC.
Boxing day
Footfall estimates were better than Boxing Day, according to retail analyst Springboard.
However, famous retail centres such as central London reported a dip, owing in part to rail service disruptions.
On Monday, shoppers chose to shop at retail parks, but foot traffic was still down 7.2% from pre-pandemic levels.
This contrasted with a steep loss in footfall on High Streets, which fell by 40.1% in 2019, and retail malls, which fell by 38.8%.
“Shoppers refilling groceries following the weekend’s festivities is likely to be a part of the bigger attraction of retail parks,” said Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard.
It’s a reverse of the trend witnessed on Boxing Day when shoppers flocked to High Streets rather than shopping malls. Overall, Boxing Day footfall was significantly lower than pre-Covid levels.
COVID concerns
Springboard reported a 37.7% decline in footfall on Boxing Day in the UK compared to the previous year. Footfall fell by 40.2 in retail parks, while it fell by 48.4% in shopping malls.
Footfall on Boxing Day was down, according to Springboard, due to concerns about Covid, as well as the fact that the customary start of post-Christmas sales happened on a Sunday this year, and some big-name retailers chose to stay closed.
Companies such as Next, John Lewis, and M&S chose to close on Boxing Day in order to offer their employees a longer Christmas holiday, however, they did start their sales online.
Footfall plummeted across the UK on Monday, with the biggest decline in Wales, where it fell by 40.3%.
Tight restrictions
Wales introduced tighter Covid restrictions on 26 December, including limiting the number of people who can meet in pubs, cinemas and restaurants to groups of no more than six people.
Scotland and Northern Ireland also brought in similar rules from Monday.
In Scotland, footfall in shops dropped by 33.3% while in Northern Ireland it fell by 36.6%.
In London, footfall plunged by 50% compared with the same day in 2019, a much sharper drop than in other areas of the UK.
Ms Wehrle said: “Footfall is weaker in central London than in large city centres elsewhere in the UK, which in part is likely to be a result of cancellations of trains restricting shoppers’ ability to get into the capital.”
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Source: BBC
