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Determined shoppers have scrambled this morning, braving bitterly cold early morning queues to get their hands of the best post-Christmas deals.
A fresh wave of bargain hunters have been lining up outside shops across the UK as the Boxing Day sales continue, with retailers like Next launching big discounts a day late.
Hundreds of people, wrapped in winter coats, started queuing up outside the clothing giant’s stores in Cardiff, Wales, and North Tyneside, in Tyne and Wear, from just after 5am.
The mad dash comes after millions of people defied Boxing Day expectations, with more shoppers flocking to stores despite the cost-of-living crisis.
A huge line of shoppers has been queuing outside the Next branch in Cardiff since before dawn today
There were similar scenes at the Next store in the Silverlink retail park North Tyneside
Footfall across all retail hubs up to noon on Monday was 50 per cent higher than last year. But the numbers have still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels and are still 31 per cent lower than Boxing Day 2019, according to Springboard, the retail researcher.
The largest yearly rise was seen on high streets, where the number of shoppers ballooned by almost 60 per cent – in a much-needed boost for town and city centres.
Meanwhile, shopping centres also saw increases in trade, with 47 per cent more people than in 2021, when surging cases of Covid prompted less people to hit the shops.
And in central London, which has been hit hard by recent strike action from transport unions, saw footfall more than double on Boxing Day morning.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said a likely factor in the increase was Boxing Day 2021 fell on a Sunday rather than a weekday, but added that the latest figures ‘provide real reason for optimism amongst retailers’.
Next’s deals have been launched 24 hours after the Boxing Day rush. Pictured is the queue in Cardiff, Wales
People in North Tyneside wrapped themselves up in coats and hats to keep themselves warm as they waited for the Next branch to open on Tuesday
And they’re in: These shoppers become the first to step into Cardiff’s branch of Next for the clothing giant’s December 27 sale
She said: ‘Whilst the bounce back from the pandemic is a key reason for the increased footfall, a further boost to footfall is likely to have been provided by the fact that Boxing Day in 2021 was on a Sunday.
‘This meant a number of stores were closed and some would have had reduced trading hours.
‘Footfall has undoubtedly been helped by the calm and sunny weather, which will have encouraged consumers to make trips out.
‘These results provide real reason for optimism amongst retailers, as these results come in the face of another rail strike and the underlying challenge of the cost-of-living crisis.’
Research by Barclaycard Payments found that the average shopper intends to buy £229 worth of items in the post-Christmas sales period, a reduction of £18 compared with 2021.
Boxing Day saw thousands of eager shoppers queueing from the early hours to get their hands on the best deals.
In London, hundreds of people crammed into the capital’s high-end Selfridges department store, with a huge line of people pictured massed at the entrance of the luxury shop.
While shopping precincts in Manchester and Birmingham are already heaving with thousands of visitors.
Travel experts predict more than 15 million Britons will hit the roads to take part in the post-Christmas sales.
There were warnings that people driving into cities to dodge the rail strikes could clog roads, bringing towns and cities could come to a standstill, with severe traffic jams.
But the predicted travel carnage has failed to stop bargain hunters in Manchester’s Trafford Centre, who have piled into the shopping centre in their hundreds.
A sea of people crammed into London’s Selfridges department store as it opened on Boxing Day
Hundreds of people queue outside London’s Selfridges department store in Oxford Street
Huge numbers flocked into London’s Oxford Street for the post-Christmas sales
Prices were slashed as stores across the UK sought to encourage shoppers in for Boxing Day. Pictured: Shoppers in London
Early figures suggest that footfall across cities and towns in the UK was up. Pictured are shoppers at JD Sports in Birmingham
There were similar scenes in Birmingham, where hundreds of people lined the streets to be the first to get into the city’s Primark and Zara stores.
But in the railway stations in cities nationwide – normally packed with eager visitors on Boxing Day – were deserted.
It comes as the latest wave of militant industrial action, which has already caused much disruption over the festive period, kicked in, causing fresh mayhem for post-Christmas sales.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) have again crippled Britain’s train timetables with their latest walkout.
And many rail services today are not set to resume until midday, prompting more people to again be travelling into cities and towns by road.
The AA predicted there would be 15.2 million cars on the roads across the UK this Boxing Day, with football fans and eager shoppers among those most likely to travel.
Crowds pictured in Regent Street, London, for the Boxing Day sales
All smiles: two women come away looking pleased during the post-Christmas sales in Birmingham city centre on Monday
The doors at London’s Selfridges department store are opened as a sea of shoppers wait outside on Boxing Day
Crowds pictured in Oxford Street, London, as crowds queued outside Selfridges
And the RAC warned that the M25 is expected to get clogged up, with severe delays expected throughout the day.
Two hotspots for queues include junction 7 to 16 clockwise, and from junction four to one anti-clockwise.
A spokesman for the AA said: ‘Traffic is likely to build around shopping centres as lots of people seek a bargain in the sales, meanwhile football fans will travel to see their teams.
‘There is scope for localised traffic congestion and more short trips, but traffic should be dispersed throughout the day as people take their time after Christmas Day.’
There had been fears shoppers would be put off this year by the rising cost of living.
Earlier, Harshna Cayley, head of online payments at Barclaycard Payments, said: ‘The rising cost-of-living and inflationary pressures have naturally had an impact on the amount being spent in the post-Christmas sales this year.
‘Having said that, retailers can take confidence knowing that Brits still plan to make the most of the deals and discounts on offer.
‘One trend that has emerged this year is the rising popularity of reselling sites.
Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre in Northamptonshire pictured as people brave traffic jams to go to the sales
People line the streets outside Zara in Birmingham for the Boxing Day sales
Scores of people rushed into the Primark store in Birmingham after queuing for hours
‘Many consumers intend to make the most of these platforms by adopting a love-it or list-it approach to Christmas gifts they receive, while also searching them to snap up ‘second-hand’ unloved bargains.’
The study also found personal tech items are most sought after among sales shoppers (42 per cent), with food and drink (41 per cent) and household technology items (32 per cent) also proving popular.
Boxing Day remains the most popular day to start post-Christmas sales shopping, with 47 per cent planning to make purchases either online or in-store today.
And an eager 46 per cent kicked off their post-Christmas shop on Christmas Eve, while 38 per cent started on Christmas Day itself.
But rising living costs are also having an impact on 42 per cent of shoppers who said price increases will limit their ability to shop in the post-Christmas sales.
Of those, 62 per cent plan to spend less in the sales than they usually would, according to the OnePoll figures.
While 27 per cent of those who feel rising living costs is impacting their spending ability in the post-Christmas sales are using the festive period to stock up on essential items only – with clothing (10 per cent) and necessary food and drink (eight per cent) their most likely purchases.
One shopper tucks into a book about billionaire Elon Musk as they wait to get into shops in London for the traditional sales
Thousands of people have been cramming into cities nationwide to bag the best Boxing Day deals. Pictured is a shopper in Birmingham
Harry Wallop, retail expert and commentator, said: ‘The increased use of reselling sites this festive period makes perfect sense, and speaks to the fact that more Brits are thinking about the environment, as well as facing pressures on their personal finances.
‘Given the tough economic backdrop, reselling unwanted items can help people’s finances and is also a more conscious way to shop – reducing waste and enabling shoppers to snap up bargains at a price they wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere.’
The surge into city high streets come as rail passengers were warned about the impact of the train strikes a week ago, with Christmas Eve services finishing earlier than usual, as the Britain’s winter of discontent continues.
Network Rail had already told passengers to ‘only travel by train if absolutely necessary’ between the Christmas period to January 8.
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