9 Tips For Boxing Day Shopping in London

Boxing Day, instead of spending the time at home with family or friends and enjoying the merry season, there are a large handful of people who just cannot miss out on incredible deals. In 2018, The Mirror reported that over 28 million people were out on Boxing Day all across the country spending millions upon millions - with discounts ranging from 50% to 90% at some stores. These deals can last for either a day or a few days but each year it’s dependent on stock. 

How Are You Going To Get There? 
As all public transport ceases to run on Christmas Day, Boxing Day will see some public transport running but with a limited service. For example, The London Underground will see a reduced service with it being compared to a Sunday service as tubes will depart later than usual as well as less tubes being available throughout the day. Regardless, I’ve used the Jubilee Line on Boxing Day and there was around a 8-10 minute wait for a tube whereas during the week I’d be able to wait less than a minute or two for one. Before going out to enjoy the sales make sure you check your route of transport - TFL provides a lot of information regarding services across numerous stations. More information can be found by clicking here.

Shopping Centres or The High Street?
On Boxing Day you should have a plan of where you’d like to go - list down all of the shops you know have discounts and deals that you simply cannot miss. For example, every year Lush have a 50% off sale on their Christmas items - the only sale throughout the whole year that Lush have as well as Next having a sale with up to 50% off. If you know the stores you’d like to go in then plan where you’d be better off going to. For example, if you live near a shopping centre but there’s nothing there - then don’t bother going! You’ll be caught up with the thousands of shoppers who have the same idea as you. If you visit Oxford Street then you’ll have a wide variety of shops to go to as well as being able to go outside and grab some fresh air if needed to. 

Opening & Closing Times
Except from Next, which is set to open at 6am, there are reduced hours for shops and businesses opening on Boxing Day - similar to Sunday trading hours. If you get to a shop at 8am, which is the usual opening time, then I’d hope you’ve got your thermals on since you will be in for a shock. Even through using Google Maps the opening and closing times may not be fully listed as “hours may differ” - I’d do my research through social media and if anything ask the retailer themselves. However, if you’re an early bird then I’d recommend arriving around 10-15 minutes before opening and if you’re a late riser then around 1-2 hours before closing. These workers want to go home as soon as they can - not spend the last two minutes before the store closes serving customers who couldn’t come earlier. 

Could You Avoid The Crowds and Shop Online? 
Most companies will have both an in-store sale as well as a sale online whereas companies that only operate online, such as Amazon, will have unmissable deals on their website. If you can avoid the crowds and stay at home, with the chance to order your favourite items at the click of a button - then do it! You’d be able to relax from the comfort of your own home and avoid being shoved from side to side in the attempt to get £30 off a jacket you know you just don’t need. The only downside to shopping online throughout Boxing Day will be a long wait for your item as not only will the company be overwhelmed with purchases but postal companies such as Royal Mail will not deliver on New Year’s Day. 

Returns & Exchanges
All these deals and offers may be exciting, so much so that you forget to ask the store you’re in what their returns and exchange policy is. The reason being is that Boxing Day allows retailers to get rid of merchandise that’s either going out of season or merchandise that they need to get rid of in general. Retailers are not obligated to give customers a refund nor exchange - so you may be stuck with that jacket that’s two sizes too small for you. Either way, there should be signs located near the tills and staff members should be able to explain the refund and exchange policy, if they have one, as some returns may be reduced from 28 days to 14 days. There may be the option of a credit note given instead of a full refund either in cash or on your debit/credit card. 

Do You Really Need That?
The excitement of getting money off products that you would’ve paid full price for may lead shoppers to grab as much as the can for the sake of it. My advice would be to withdraw a certain about of cash, whether it be £20 or £100, so that once your money has run out - you can call it a day and return home. I admit I’m guilty of picking up bath bomb after bath bomb in Lush simply because it’s 50% off - I spent £70 in Lush in less than 5 minutes and my bank account really took a hit that day that it never recovered from. If you make a list of items you’d like to get, then stick to it - don’t feel tempted to buy something that you know you will not use and won’t come in handy in 6 months time. When you look at an item think if you will use it and if not then put it back on the shelf - someone else will find a use for it. 

Bags, Bags & Even More Bags!
We’ve all been there - you spend £101.20 on an item but 5p for a plastic bag? Utterly outrageous. Even for online shopping, I’m willing to pay £400 for an item but £3.95 for delivery? No thank you. To avoid having to buy plastic bag upon plastic bag then buy durable and reusable bags. There’s bags that you can buy in Sports Direct or even Tesco which are around £1 but can carry a lot more than the standard 5p plastic bag - which also prevents the embarrassment of your bag ripping and clothes going everywhere. Not to mention you’re not doing anything for the environment if you keep buying bag upon bag that you know you don’t need, especially when you have another 100 in a cupboard at home. Additionally, keep your shopping separate from your receipts - you will spend hours upon hours searching for your receipts if you just shove them into a bag. 

Be Prepared
You’ve got your list, you’ve planned where you’re going to go and you’ve made a budget but have you thought about the weather? It could be raining or snowing, this weather is really unpredictable, you don’t want to be walking down Bond Street with Louboutin’s on trying to keep your balance. For just this once, I’m sure you can leave the heels at home and wear trainers or boots with a low heel. Make sure you’re warm by wearing a jacket that will keep you warm but not to the point where you begin sweating when shopping. If you’re going to leave early then make sure you have a good hearty breakfast and bring some water with you - there’s nothing worse than going out and possibly feeling faint as you’ve barely eaten or drunk anything. 

Buy Ahead For Next Christmas!
As much as the idea of getting a t-shirt or a bag discounted is fun, think ahead - further, further and go 330 days ahead. One of my favourite places to visit on Boxing Day and the days towards New Year has to be Clintons and Card Factory and even stores such as Poundland, Sainsbury’s and Tesco. Simply because all of their Christmas items will be reduced. Last year I bought most of my Christmas cards for 2019 for under £10 - which I would’ve spent around £30 on if I had bought them at full price. Even wrapping paper can be as cheap as 30p per roll compared to £1, it all helps and saves me buying it the following year. Even if I find Christmas books or books that children can colour in - I save it for a stocking filler for next year as they can cost as little as 10p. Either way, there are items such as luxury crackers that can be saved for the year after, with everyone thinking you spent a fortune but instead you've simply spent a few pennies or pounds.