Boxing Day footfall tumbles as shoppers go online

Shopping centres report 15% decline in footfall while luxury retailers enjoy boom after drop in sterling

British bargain hunters have shunned high streets and shopping centres this Boxing Day, according to early indications that highlight the growing competition faced by traditional retailers from online stores.

Retailers sought to put a positive spin on trade on one of their most crucial days of the year, but early estimates of Boxing Day footfall, a measure of shopper numbers, showed it was down 7.2% on a year ago by 4pm.