Despite Christmas week traditionally marking a natural slowdown in shopping activity, UK retail destinations delivered a resilient performance this year, according to MRI Software. Overall footfall fell by -12.8% week on week, largely reflecting the disruption of Christmas Day itself and the quieter trading days that followed. However, when viewed year on year, footfall was +3.9% higher across all UK retail destinations, suggesting that the later placement of Christmas in the week provided shoppers with additional time to complete last-minute festive purchases.
To gain a more accurate understanding of the week following Christmas, it is important to examine footfall performance through date comparisons from previous years (e.g., Boxing Day 2025 vs. Boxing Day 2024) rather than day-vs-day comparisons (e.g., 27th December 2025 vs. 28th December 2024).
In the final run-up to Christmas, shopping activity intensified sharply when compared with the week prior. On Monday 22nd December, footfall surged +38.6% week on week, with high streets seeing particularly strong momentum (+37.4%). While footfall across all UK retail destinations remained marginally lower year on year (-0.4%), the uplift reflected shoppers making decisive, last-minute purchases. This pattern continued into Tuesday, with footfall rising a further +27.4% week on week, despite remaining -2.3% lower than the same day last year.
Christmas Eve proved to be the peak, with footfall up +4.7% week on week and +1.4% year on year. Retail parks and shopping centres outperformed high streets as shoppers focused on convenience and efficiency while finalising festive purchases in the final hours before Christmas Day.
After a slower start on the morning of Boxing Day, footfall rebounded strongly, making it a standout trading day. Across all UK retail destinations, footfall rose +4.4% year on year compared with Boxing Day 2024; the strongest increase witnessed in a decade. Retail parks led the way with an +8.8% uplift, while high streets (+3.6%) and shopping centres (+2.1%) also saw strong gains, suggesting shoppers were keen to get out earlier than in previous years.
Interestingly, Boxing Day uplift was driven by evening activity, with footfall between 5pm and 11pm averaging +9.6%, compared with a more modest averaging +3.1% increase during daytime hours. With some retail stores remaining closed until 27th December, it is likely that leisure and hospitality venues benefited from this later surge in activity.
Momentum carried into Saturday, with footfall up +1.6% year on year. High streets led again (+2.4%), closely followed by retail parks (+2.1%), indicating shoppers were combining sales trips with dining, leisure and social plans. However, shopping centres saw a slower start to the sales period, recording a slight -0.6% dip.
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. 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.
Taken together, these Christmas week trends provided a welcome boost for retailers following a challenging start to the year, highlighting both the importance of where Christmas falls in the calendar and the growing role of leisure-led footfall in maintaining seasonal performance; a trend which has remained strong throughout 2025.
Week 52 – MON-SUN (27th – 28th December)
Despite Christmas week traditionally marking a natural slowdown in shopping activity, UK retail destinations delivered a resilient performance this year. Overall footfall fell by -14.5% week on week, largely reflecting the disruption of Christmas Day itself and the quieter trading days that followed. However, when viewed year on year, footfall was +4.6% higher across all UK retail destinations, suggesting that the later placement of Christmas in the week provided shoppers with additional time to complete last-minute festive purchases.
To gain a more accurate understanding of the week following Christmas, it is important to examine footfall performance through date comparisons from previous years (e.g., Boxing Day 2025 vs. Boxing Day 2024) rather than day-vs-day comparisons (e.g., 27th December 2025 vs. 28th December 2024).
In the final run-up to Christmas, shopping activity intensified sharply when compared with the week prior. On Monday 22nd December, footfall surged +38.6% week on week, with high streets seeing particularly strong momentum (+37.4%). While footfall across all UK retail destinations remained marginally lower year on year (-0.4%), the uplift reflected shoppers making decisive, last-minute purchases. This pattern continued into Tuesday, with footfall rising a further +27.4% week on week, despite remaining -2.3% lower than the same day last year.
Christmas Eve proved to be the peak, with footfall up +4.7% week on week and +1.4% year on year. Retail parks and shopping centres outperformed high streets as shoppers focused on convenience and efficiency while finalising festive purchases in the final hours before Christmas Day.
After a slower start on the morning of Boxing Day, footfall rebounded strongly, making it a standout trading day. Across all UK retail destinations, footfall rose +4.4% year on year compared with Boxing Day 2024; the strongest increase witnessed in a decade. Retail parks led the way with an +8.8% uplift, while high streets (+3.6%) and shopping centres (+2.1%) also saw strong gains, suggesting shoppers were keen to get out earlier than in previous years.
Interestingly, Boxing Day uplift was driven by evening activity, with footfall between 5pm and 11pm averaging +9.6%, compared with a more modest averaging +3.1% increase during daytime hours. With some retail stores remaining closed until 27th December, it is likely that leisure and hospitality venues benefited from this later surge in activity.
Momentum carried into Saturday, with footfall up +1.6% year on year. High streets led again (+2.4%), closely followed by retail parks (+2.1%), indicating shoppers were combining sales trips with dining, leisure and social plans. However, shopping centres saw a slower start to the sales period, recording a slight -0.6% dip.
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. 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.
Taken together, these Christmas week trends provided a welcome boost for retailers following a challenging start to the year, highlighting both the importance of where Christmas falls in the calendar and the growing role of leisure-led footfall in maintaining seasonal performance; a trend which has remained strong throughout 2025.
