Retailers appear to have enjoyed an end of year boost with Scotland seeing the biggest year on year increase in Boxing Day footfall.
After a slow start to the day, shoppers made a late rush to the shops, with some staying open until 11pm.
Footfall in Scotland was 14.3% higher than Boxing Day last year, significantly up on the 4.4% average rise across the UK.
For some stores, it was the strongest increase in more than a decade, according to retail analysts MRI Software.
High streets saw a 3.6% increase in footfall compared with Boxing Day 2024, while retail parks experienced an 8.8% surge. There was a 2.1% rise in shopping centre visitors.
The boost in activity was driven by a peak in visits across all UK retail destinations from 5pm – 11pm averaging 9.6% against an average increase of 3.1% from 6am-5pm.
The rise was in spite of chains such as Marks & Spencer, Next, John Lewis, Aldi and Lidl being closed. Also, some chains began the traditional sales on Christmas Eve which was expected to dilute Boxing Day traffic.
It’s likely that leisure and hospitality establishments may have benefited.
MRI Software counts footfall in more than 660 retail destinations across the UK 24/7 through cameras.
Jenni Matthews, retail analyst at the company, said the footfall increase was “the strongest increase seen in over 10 years”.
There had been a slow lead-up to Christmas Eve but a big boost in footfall on 24 December, suggesting some shoppers may have left it late to buy gifts.
On Boxing Day, coastal towns saw a 10% increase in footfall, which may have been due to events such as markets held on high streets, according to Ms Matthews.
“It’s likely to be event-driven because we know that a lot of stores were still shut,” Ms Matthews added.
Some unknown factors, such as fears of online scams, may have contributed to the uplift in footfall which contradicts some expectations that the squeeze on household incomes together with job uncertainty would have slowed any appetite for spending.
The average shopper is expected to spend £17 more on the end-of-year sales compared with last year, according to figures from Barclays bank, taking the average budget to £253, from £236 in 2024.
In his New Year Message the director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, David Lonsdale, said: “Despite the headwinds there are grounds for guarded optimism for the year ahead.
“Scotland’s retailers have demonstrated their remarkable ingenuity and tenacity on multiple occasions during this decade and shown themselves to be a force for good in our communities.
“No matter what obstacles are thrown their way they will adapt and play a full part in driving forward Scotland’s economy whilst seeking to deliver on the industry’s vision of making Scotland the best place in the UK to grow a retail business.”
However, he warned that business rates continue to put pressures on retailers and urged the Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison to follow the Chancellor who introduced a discount of over 10% for English shops.
He said Scotland risks becoming a “materially less attractive investment option if it doesn’t follow suit, leaving the industry with a New Year hangover.”
He added: “The onus is on Finance Secretary Shona Robison to pull out all the stops and permanently discount business rates for all retailers in Scotland in her Budget on 13 January. If she fluffs the chance then Scotland’s high streets are likely to face the unwelcome consequences.”
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