Be prepared. Here’s the prediction for the five busiest UK shopping days of Christmas, headed by Super Saturday (20 December), which is expected to see the highest in-store footfall of the period for a third year. 

That’s according to retail traffic consulting and analytics group Sensormatic Solutions, which predicts the other top-five trading days to be: the Saturday after Black Friday (29 November); the last full day of shopping before Christmas (23 December); Boxing Day (26 December); and the second Saturday in December (13 December).

Last year, its data showed store visits on Super Saturday climbed 0.8% year-on-year, “prompted by retailers bringing forward Boxing Day discounts pre-Christmas in order to stimulate demand”. 

This also saw Super Saturday 2024 footfall rise +4.1% week-on-week, as shoppers, who had been holding back spend in the hope of last-minute deals, scrambled to pick up gifts.

Sensormatic Solutions said: “With customers now habitually hunting for discounts and rigorously comparing prices to make disposable spending budgets work harder, savvy shopping will be a key trend for Peak Trading 2025.”

It said its original research among over 1,000 UK consumers showed that 73% will take more time searching out deals when Christmas shopping – up +4 percentage points year-on-year. A further 40% said in-store promotions and discounts would remain a top consideration when choosing to shop in-store for gifts.

Andy Sumpter, Sensormatic Solutions’ EMEA Retail Consultant, added: “The Christmas rush is right around the corner, and competition for customer attention this year will be fierce. With economic uncertainty affecting both shoppers and businesses, stores that prioritise precise, personalised omnichannel promotions will have an edge come Peak Trading, and data analytics will be the key enabler of these efforts. Armed with a sense of what’s to come, retailers can use insights to build the convenient, seamless in-store experiences shoppers crave.”