An evening surge in shoppers drove a decade-high increase in footfall for Boxing Day sales across the United Kingdom, according to data from MRI Software. Footfall across all UK retail destinations, including high streets and shopping centers, rose by 4.4% compared to the same day last year.

MRI Software, which counts footfall in over 660 retail locations across the UK, initially reported a muted reaction to the sales by 3 p.m. High street visits were down 1.5% and shopping center visits were down 0.6% compared to 2024 in early data. However, the trend reversed later in the day.

Jenni Matthews, retail analyst at MRI Software, noted that the increase in activity was driven by a peak in visits across all UK retail destinations as the day progressed, indicating a shift in shopper behavior towards later shopping hours.

Footfall remained strong on Saturday, and MRI anticipates that the strong post-Christmas shopping momentum will continue into the new year. This late surge suggests a potential change in consumer shopping habits, with individuals possibly delaying their Boxing Day shopping until later in the day.

Despite the increase in footfall, Barclays has forecast that consumers would spend £1 billion less on this year's Boxing Day deals. This discrepancy highlights a crucial distinction: increased store visits do not automatically translate into increased spending. Several factors could contribute to this, including a greater emphasis on browsing, more cautious spending due to economic uncertainty, or a shift towards online shopping, which is not captured in MRI's footfall data.

The industry impact of this late shopper rush is multifaceted. Retailers may need to adjust staffing levels and store hours to accommodate these changing shopping patterns. Marketing strategies could also be refined to target consumers later in the day. Furthermore, the data underscores the importance of analyzing both footfall and sales figures to gain a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior during key retail events.