Moji Oshisanya, chief commercial officer at Vouchercodes.co.uk, told InternetRetailing that the Boxing Day sales are not dead – just changing.
Black Friday dominated retail headlines again in 2025, cementing its place in the UK’s shopping calendar. However, while Vouchercodes.co.uk forecast £9.52 billion in spending across the four‑day weekend, for many retailers it proved to be something of a mixed bag. Black Friday footfall was down year-on-year and shoppers spent less on big ticket items than in previous years – but ecommerce emerged the clear winner. Data from Adobe Analytics shows UK shoppers spent a record £3.8 billion online across the four days of Cyber Weekend, making it the biggest spending online sales event ever.
While Black Friday continues to reshape festive retail, its growing dominance has sparked a bigger question: is Boxing Day losing relevance? The Boxing Day sales have long been viewed as a way for retailers to shift stock after Christmas, with sales peaking in 2018, when £3.2 billion was made by UK retailers. Since then, however, Boxing Day has lost some of its trajectory, in part as Black Friday has grown to become the largest shopping day in the retail calendar.
Moji Oshisanya, chief commercial officer at Vouchercodes.co.uk, argues it’s not dead – just changing. “The numbers for Black Friday might tempt us to write Boxing Day off, but it’s actually expected to reach £3.81 billion compared to Black Friday’s forecast of £3.36 billion,” she said. “And, while Boxing Day once meant browsing high‑street bargains with Christmas money, the post‑Christmas rush has shifted to online, with shoppers expected to scroll for deals from the sofa this year (+3.1% YoY).”
She warns that many retailers will still miss the real peak. “An estimated 11.8 million people will shop online on Christmas Day, compared with 7.8 million on Boxing Day,” she said. “This gap between opening presents and stores reopening is becoming a crucial moment for retailers to capture demand.”
The post-Christmas playbook
If Black Friday is about intent, post-Christmas is about opportunity. Oshisanya offers the following advice for retailers looking to maximise:
Optimise online shopping for Christmas Day
“Christmas Day is now the real start to the sales, and people are ready to spend their gifted money as soon as they’ve finished counting it. Recognising the importance of digital discovery is key – ensure websites, apps, and marketing channels are optimised for speed, clarity, and convenience, ready for Christmas day.”
“VoucherCodes’ data shows that 53% of consumers actively hunt for discount codes or wait for sales before purchasing, so value perception plays a major role. Stackable codes, partner-exclusive offers and affiliate-led deals resonate strongly with post-Christmas shoppers, who browse first, and decide later.”
“Opportunistic browsers are more brand-led than product-led. Exclusive codes, early access and member rewards can nudge them from browsing to buying – and strengthen loyalty long-term.
“Both Black Friday and Boxing Day matter, but in different ways,” Oshisanya added. “Retailers that recognise this and approach them with different strategies will see success – with those targeting Christmas Day at a real commercial advantage.”
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