BOXING DAY SALES TO PLUMMET AS SHOPPERS REMAIN CAUTIOUS IN LIGHT OF OMICRON SPREAD
Boxing Day sales are forecast to fall on 26th December, with a 10% slump compared to 2019 and a dip of 1% on last year, according to a new report.
The VoucherCodes.co.uk Shopping for Christmas 2021 forecasts that Boxing Day sales will drop to £3.94bn compared to 2019 figures (£4.39bn) and down from £3.97bn in 2020.
Retailers are set to be hit hard with sales down for the fourth consecutive year despite fewer restrictions being in place compared with 2020. As shoppers remain cautious in light of increased cases of COVID-19, High Street spend on 26 December is set to drop a huge 23% on 2019’s figures, from £3.25bn to £2.51bn. The YoY comparison shows an 11% uplift from £2.26bn in 2020, however as non-essential retail remained closed last year this is not the significant boost retailers were hoping for.
Online spending is expected to hit £1.43bn this Boxing Day, a 25% rise compared with 2019 sales (£1.14bn), however this represents a 16% drop from last Christmas when online sales hit £1.71bn.