The number of bargain hunters visiting the Boxing Day sales in the UK is likely to have fallen this year, marking a further shift away from bricks-and-mortar stores towards internet transactions.
While footfall declined, a growing number of shoppers went online on Monday. By midday, transactions were 11.5 per cent higher than the same period in 2015, according to Springboard, a retail consultancy.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said that the reduction in footfall, which at midday on Boxing day was 6 per cent lower than a year earlier, was a concern to retailers even though it was likely to be offset by the growth in internet sales.