New data reveals the UK's retail sector ended a challenging year on a positive note, with a significant nationwide increase in shopper numbers over the vital Christmas period.
Festive Footfall Provides Welcome Boost
According to analysts at MRI Software, footfall across all UK retail destinations rose by 3.9% compared to the previous year. This uplift suggests that the later timing of Christmas in 2025 allowed for a greater volume of last-minute shopping trips, helping retailers to finish the year strongly.
Boxing Day Emerges as Standout Performer
The real highlight of the season was Boxing Day, which recorded a remarkable 4.4% year-on-year increase in customer visits. This marks the largest surge seen for the day in a full decade, solidifying its position as the "standout" trading day of the festive week.
The growth was not evenly distributed across all location types. Retail parks led the charge with an impressive 8.8% increase in footfall. High streets also performed well, attracting 3.6% more visitors, while shopping centres saw a more modest rise of 2.1%.
Evening Economy and Leisure Drive Momentum
A key driver of the Boxing Day success was a surge in evening activity. Footfall between 5pm and 11pm soared by an average of 9.6% compared to the same hours last year, providing a substantial boost to adjoining leisure and hospitality venues such as restaurants, bars, and cinemas.
This positive momentum carried into Saturday, with overall footfall up 1.6% year-on-year. High streets continued to attract visitors, seeing a 2.4% increase, although shopping centre visits dipped slightly by 0.6%.
Jenni Matthews, a retail analyst at MRI Software, commented on the trends: "As family gatherings draw to a close and consumers look ahead to New Year's Eve, footfall is expected to continue rising over the coming days."
She added: "Shoppers are likely to remain focused on sales, festive events and attractions within towns and cities, and topping up on food and drink essentials, keeping the festive retail period firmly in motion."
Regional Highlights and Cautious Optimism
In London's West End, footfall across December 26th and 27th increased by 1.5% compared to the same period last year. On Boxing Day specifically, visits were up 1.7%, driven by a particularly strong 5% year-on-year growth on Oxford Street.
Dee Corsi, chief executive of the New West End Company, struck a note of cautious optimism: "West End businesses will now be hoping that that footfall translates into sales, ending the year on a positive note, despite wider cost pressures and a challenging economic picture nationally."
Taken together, these Christmas week trends provided a much-needed lift for retailers after a difficult start to the year. The data underscores the importance of the calendar's timing for seasonal performance and highlights the growing role of leisure-led footfall in sustaining retail activity—a trend that remained robust throughout 2025.
