Boxing Day shoppers expected to spend £3.7bn, a big drop on last year

Some big retailers stay shut as Black Friday overshadows traditional sales and people watch their budgets

Shoppers are expected to spend £3.7bn this Boxing Day – but that’s 3% less than a year ago as the sales are now overshadowed by Black Friday events and shoppers remain cautious about their budgets.

The fall in spend marks a big drop in the volume of items being bought, given that inflation remains at about 4.3%.