Christmas Eve footfall up at retail parks but figures still down 30% on last year

Fall largely due to Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday in 2022, making for stronger day of trading

Footfall across UK shops increased by 5% on Christmas Eve compared with the week before, driven by grocery shopping, figures show.

Sunday’s surge in footfall was attributed to consumers favouring retail parks and shopping centres to buy last-minute gifts and household items before some supermarkets closed on Christmas Day and have reduced hours on Boxing Day.