Despite the campaign garnering over 140,000 signatures, calls for shops to be forced to close on Boxing Day have been shunned by the Government.

As you read this, MPs are due to be debating whether retailers should shut up shop on Boxing Day.

It’s a campaign that has raised the eyebrows of retail heavyweights like Jacqueline Gold and Gary Grant.

However, ahead of today’s debate the Government weighed in, saying it would not propose a ban on shops opening on December 26.

While for many (myself included) the thought of hunting out deals on Boxing Day is nothing short of hive-inducing, its undeniably an important day for retailers in the golden quarter.

And while it remains to be seen if MPs will back the campaign to shut up shop, the Christmas wish for an extra day off for retail staff looks unlikely to be granted this year.

One retailer that doesn’t seem to be feeling the pinch this Christmas is Asos, which today unveiled plans to hire 1,500 new staff for its London headquarters.

Meanwhile, ex-Poundland boss Jim McCarthy has joined consumer goods group Ultimate Products as chairman and Mothercare has poached Monsoon Accessorize’s international director.

Quote of the day

“We do not believe it is for central government to tell businesses how to run their shops or how best to serve their customers. Therefore we are not proposing to ban shops from opening on Boxing Day.”

Government statement on the petition calling for shops to be prevented from opening on Boxing Day

Today in numbers

1.1%

The drop in retail footfall last month, according to the BRC-Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor’s latest figures.

£40m

The amount Asos plans to spend renovating its London headquarters

Tuesday’s agenda

We’ll find out how the big four grocers are faring with the latest Kantar and Nielsen data. And Carpetright updates the market with half-year numbers.

Grace Bowden, junior reporter

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