The opportunity to grab the best bargains from the comfort of one’s own couch will mean many people will choose not to head to town, retail parks and shopping centres. In a bid to lure festive shoppers through their doors, big-name retailers such as M&S, Debenhams and House of Fraser are offering massive discounts as online sales are expected to jump by 10 percent from last year. In-store sales on the other hand are expected to drop by more than 12 percent. 

But despite their efforts, sales are set to fall to £3.25bn – a £460m decrease from 2018- according to a Centre for Retail Research (CRR) study for website VoucherCodes. 

Heavy discounting, which has seen Debenhams slash its prices by up to 75 percent, comes at the end of what has been a tough year for retailers. 

A spokesman for CRR said: “By Boxing Day people will have experienced many discount events, such as Black Friday, and we expect the numbers attending the sales to reduce.” 

Sky News reported that shoppers had started queueing as early as 6am outside stores in Gateshead in Tyne and Wear. 

One female shopper said: “We’ve been stood in the queue for River Island for like an hour.” 

When asked what her budget for the day’s shopping was, she said: “I’ll go home with nothing, let’s just say that.” 

But rising environmental concerns are also expected to impact the buying of clothes, with Britons expected to spend £200 million less in the sales this year. 

Some four in 10 UK adults will make the most of sales from Boxing Day, spending an average of £186 each and a total of £3.7 billion, according to Barclaycard. 

But 62 percent have planned to shop more mindfully and make fewer purchases, with the figure rising to 68 percent for women. 

And almost seven in 10 consumers (67 percent) also plan to spend less on “fast fashion” because of the potential environmental impact of its production. 

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Rob Cameron, chief executive of Barclaycard Payments, said surveys showed “shoppers are increasingly thinking about how their purchases impact the environment”. 

He said: “Forward-thinking retailers should be making a conscious effort to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, in order to boost their appeal – and their revenue.” 

Opinium Research surveyed 2,002 UK adults online for Barclaycard between November 29 and December 3. 

The sales come as a union for shop works said big giant retailer should remain closed on December 26 so staff don’t have to work. 

Usdaw said their survey showed three in four workers felt their time with loved ones over the Christmas period was compromised by their work commitments. 

The union also wants stores to shutter by 4pm on Christmas Eve. 

A spokesman for Usda said: “The run-up to Christmas is busy and stressful for everyone working in retail, and in connected jobs like warehouse and distribution too. 

“Retail workers have been putting in long, tough shifts to help customers get ready for Christmas, and they barely have the time and energy to make their own preparations. 

“While Christmas comes, far too often they don’t get a decent break, with a late finish on Christmas Eve and then back to work early on Boxing Day morning.” 

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