London retailers launch Boxing Day campaign
Published: 08 April, 2010
Central London retailers are mounting a campaign to relax Sunday trading laws to allow the Christmas Sales to start on Boxing Day, which this year falls on a Sunday.
The New West End Company, which represents over 600 retailers on Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street, has launched a ‘Save Boxing Day Sales’ campaign to increase shopping hours on one of the most important shopping days of the retail calendar. This year’s Boxing Day for the first time in six years falls on a Sunday and NWEC estimates the current limited trading hours will result in a £50m reduction in West End takings alone.
Under existing Sunday trading laws, retailers with stores of over 3,000 sq ft, which accounts for 99 per cent of the West End’s stores, are restricted to just six hours of trading between 10am and 6pm.
Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas, Chairman of New West End Company, said: “Boxing Day traditionally marks the launch of the January sales and a strong trading day is a vital boost to the retail industry and the UK economy, as it recovers from the global recession.
“London also needs to maintain its international competitive edge and the Christmas period is a key time for welcoming international visitors taking a Christmas shopping break. Reducing Boxing Day trading hours will have an effect on these visitor numbers and spend.”
West End retailers behind the New West End Company campaign so far include the Arcadia Group which encompasses outlets including Topshop, Topman, Burton, BHS, and Miss Selfridge. Other retailers behind the campaign include House of Fraser, Liberty, Debenhams, Fortnum and Mason, Hamleys, Kurt Geiger, Boots and Selfridges.
Sir Philip Green owner of Arcadia and BHS said, "Many people like shopping on the first day of Sale, so it does seems sensible when Boxing Day falls on a Sunday to give customers as much flexibility and time as possible for their traditional post Christmas Sales shop."
And Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman added: “The first day of the sale is a key time for both customers and retailers. On what is traditionally one of the busiest days of the year we would welcome an extension to the trading hours which would enable us to offer our customers a better and safer shopping experience. Condensing one of the country's peak trading days into fewer hours would not be helpful either to customers or to the recovery needed in the retail sector.”
