The numbers of in-person Boxing Day shoppers fell to almost half of pre-pandemic levels. Footfall at shopping sites across the UK on Boxing Day was 41 percent below the 2019 level, data from industry analyst Springboard shows. Shops on Boxing Day are usually bustling with customers hunting for post-Christmas bargains, but the footfall in high streets was 37.7 percent lower than in 2019, while it dropped 48.4 percent in shopping centres and 40.2 percent in retail parks. Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said: “A major reason for the significantly lower footfall compared with 2019 will be due to consumers’ ongoing nervousness about the Covid infection rate. “This will have been compounded by the fact that a few multiple retailers opted not to open on Boxing Day which will have deterred some shoppers. “In addition, Sunday generally has the lowest footfall on any day in the week so a comparison with 2019 when Boxing …