BOXPARK, the UK’s award-winning dining, leisure, and retail concept, has reported a record month in December 2023 with like-for-like sales ahead by 22%, beating revenue made during its famous World Cup football screenings in the same period last year.

Sales in this period were bolstered by corporate bookings for Christmas and a prolific programme of festive entertainment as part of an extensive Christmas campaign. BOXPARK venues saw a month-long flurry of festive parties, family days out, post-work drinks, and sold-out music events, boosting revenue growth in December.

The Group saw a significant 108% increase in corporate bookings for Christmas compared to the previous year, generating sales of over half a million. Marketing tactics such as gifting drops and Santa sleigh pop-ups to local businesses, as well as good-value party packages including high-production events, helped to drive corporate sales.

In addition, BOXPARK venues were sold out for New Year’s Eve with large-scale music events and parties. Throughout December, each venue hosted its new large-format, interactive Big Friday events including cultural and music-led entertainment from tribute bands, vocalists, bingo and hip-hop karaoke; all of which contributed to the Group achieving its best ever December.

Despite Christmas typically being the busiest period for hospitality businesses, factors such as cost inflation, train strikes and consumers having less disposable income has made it a tough time for the hospitality industry. However, the Group has demonstrated positive trading ahead of its national roll-out this year with new sites opening in Liverpool this Spring and Bristol and Liverpool Street (London) later this year.

CEO of BOXPARK Simon Champion comments on December trading: “As we prepare to launch our next iteration of BOXPARK in Liverpool, we are delighted to see such positive results over Christmas. In the current economic climate, you have to work a lot harder to draw people in and give compelling reasons to spend their cash at your venue. I can say that our teams worked tirelessly to create clever incentives, unrivalled events and deliver a fantastic experience for guests during the festive period. This leaves us feeling optimistic about trading over the next few months as we continue to evolve our offer.”