Springboard data reveals Boxing Day shoppers were up by nearly 40% compared to last year, but remained below pre-pandemic levels as the cost-of-living crisis puts pressure on consumer spend.

Retailers can’t afford another year of extreme excess inventory. If it doesn’t move over the holidays from the sales and deep discounting, it will have to move immediately after.

It would be most strategic to have a clean slate come January 1, but if shopping levels aren’t there to achieve that, something must give.