Breakfast briefing: Retail news on Boxing Data sales data and Holland and Barrett

Springboard’s retail data show UK shoppers on Boxing Day up 8%

According to figures from retail data company Springboard, UK shoppers came out in force for the Boxing Day sales with 8% more shoppers than last year, in spite of heavy rainfall, Reuters reported. The data showed shopping centres witnessed a 22% jump in the number of bargain-hunters coming through their doors, while high street outlets saw 3.4% more shoppers as of 10am.

Some stores opened as early as 6am in London’s main shopping district in the West End and Oxford Street, where over a million people are expected to have turned out. Many shops started their January Sales online on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day as UK consumers demand increasingly earlier and deeper discounting.

Shoppers expected to spend nearly £3bn on December 27th

Shoppers are expected to spend nearly £3bn today on the second day of the post-Christmas sales.

The amount of money spent is predicted to be more than the estimated £2.7bn spent in shops and online on Boxing Day, Sky News reported.

A total of £2.22bn was estimated to have been spent in stores on Thursday, up 5.7% on last year, according to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).

Holland & Barrett unveils ad campaign to promote ‘good life MOT’

A new advertising campaign has been unveiled by Holland & Barrett promoting a ‘good life MOT’, which coincides with the beginning of the store’s flagship Penny Sale promotion on December 26 and will run for five weeks, The Drum reported. The Good Life MOT ad campaign is being supported with a £1.2m national print and TV advertising campaign created by RKCR/Y&R. The campaign is also set to include online content, live chat forums and a comprehensive PR programme. Customers planning to embark on a New Year health regime can complete a health MOT with trained store associates.