Retail experts say the Omicron variant has sent shoppers online as the number of bargain hunters looking for Boxing Day sales on the high street plummeted to almost half of pre-pandemic levels. Footfall at shopping sites across the UK on Boxing Day up to noon was 45% below the 2019 level, according to data from industry analyst Springboard. But the British Retail Consortium said that, although many consumers shunned the shops, the sector could see a boost due to online trade. Footfall in Northern Ireland was 73% below the 2019 level, 63% lower in Wales, and almost 50% lower in Scotland. Shoppers stand in line for the doors to open for the start of the Boxing Day sales at Selfridges department store on Oxford Street in London (Jonathan Brady/PA)There were also queues outside Selfridges, Boots, Primark, Disney and Zara on Oxford Street in London.

Source: The Star December 26, 2021 20:50 UTC