Business
Late shopper rush drives Boxing Day sale traffic
An evening surge in shoppers keen on Boxing Day bargains drove a decade-high increase in footfall for the annual sales, figures suggest.
It was up by 4.4% across all UK retail destinations including high streets and shopping centres compared to the same day last year, according to data from MRI Software.
Footfall also remained strong on Saturday, and MRI anticipated the strong post-Christmas shopping momentum to continue into the new year.
But higher footfall does not necessarily translate into higher spending, and Barclays has forecast that consumers would spend £1bn less on this year’s Boxing Day deals.
By 3pm on 26 December, it appeared there had been a muted reaction to the sales, according to early MRI data with high street visits down 1.5% compared to 2024 and shopping centre visits down 0.6%.
MRI counts footfall in more than 660 retail locations across the UK and retail analyst Jenni Matthews said that as the day progressed, it became clear that shoppers were deciding to head out but just a bit later in the day.
“The boost in activity was driven by a peak in visits across all UK retail destinations from 5pm – 11pm averaging +9.6% versus an average increase of +3.1% from 6am-5pm,” she said.
With many stores not reopening until 28 December, Ms Matthews said it was likely that hospitality and leisure venues would have benefited from the increase in foot traffic.
“This is an early indicator that the retail sector may well end the year on a positive note given the challenging times faced at the beginning of the year,” she said.
Shoppers were also out in force on Saturday, according to the MRI data, with footfall across retail destinations up by 1.6% compared to 27 December last year.
Ms Matthews said that with family gatherings ending and the new year looming, MRI anticipates footfall will continue to rise over the coming days.
“Consumers [will be] likely shopping the sales, making the most of the festive events and attractions within towns and cities, and stocking up on New Year’s Eve essentials, keeping the festive retail period firmly in motion,” she said.
Analysts say 2025 has been a challenging year for people as rising prices and other factors have squeezed household finances.
Barclays’ consumer spend report suggested that fewer people planned to take advantage of the sales, forecasting shoppers to spending £3.6bn, down from £4.6bn last year.
Recent retail spending data from the Office for National Statistics showed that many shoppers resisted the lure of November’s Black Friday sales, with only a 0.1% lift in sales volumes.
Business
Without Rera data, real estate reform risks losing credibility: Homebuyers’ body – The Times of India
New Delhi: More than 75% of state real estate regulators, Reras, have either never published annual reports, discontinued their publication or not updated them despite statutory obligation and directions from the housing and urban affairs ministry, claimed homebuyers’ body FPCE on Friday. It released status report of 21 Reras as of Feb 13.The availability of updated annual reports is crucial as these contain details of data on performance of Reras, including project completion status categorised by timely completion, completion with extensions, and incomplete projects. The ministry’s format for publishing these reports also specifies providing details such as actual execution status of refund, possession and compensation orders as well as recovery warrant execution details with values and list of defaulting builders.FPCE said annual report data is not only vital for homebuyers to assess system credibility, but is equally necessary for both state and central govts to frame effective policies, design incentivisation schemes, and develop tax policy frameworks.“Unless we have credible data proving that after Rera the real estate sector has improved in terms of delivery, fairness, and keeping its promises, we are merely firing in the air,” said FPCE president Abhay Upadhyay, who is also a member of the govt’s Central Advisory Council on Rera.As per details shared by the entity, seven states — Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa — have never published a single annual report since Rera’s implementation, and nine states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana, which initially published reports, have discontinued the practice.Upadhyay said when regulators themselves don’t follow the law, they lose the legal right to demand compliance from other stakeholders. “Their failure emboldens builders and weakens the very system they are meant to safeguard,” he said.
Business
Infosys Rolls Out 85% Average Performance Bonus In Q3FY26, Best In Over 3 Years
Last Updated:
Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.

Infosys logo is seen.
IT major Infosys rolled out performance bonus payouts averaging around 85 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 (Q3FY26), marking the strongest variable pay outcome for eligible employees in at least the past three-and-a-half years, Moneycontrol reported citing people in the know.
The bonus payout for mid- to junior-level employees ranges between 75 percent and 100 percent, with most employees clustering around the organisation-wide average of 85 percent, the report said. The development signals a steady recovery in variable compensation at the Bengaluru-headquartered IT services firm. Over recent quarters, payouts had gradually improved from roughly 65 percent to 80 percent and now to an average of about 85 percent in Q3FY26.
Employees are expected to receive their bonus letters over the next few days, with the payout scheduled to be credited along with their February salary.
One employee told the outlet that it is the strongest bonus outcome seen in recent years. The payout is also among the rare instances since the Covid-19 period when variable pay has approached the upper end of the eligible range.
Infosys last paid out 100 percent variable compensation during the pandemic. In the quarters that followed, payouts were lower amid macroeconomic uncertainty and a broader slowdown in client spending across global markets.
The higher payout comes at a time when global IT stocks have faced renewed pressure, driven by concerns over rapid advances in artificial intelligence and their potential impact on traditional IT services models.
Shares of global IT firms have seen sharp sell-offs in recent weeks amid heightened investor focus on AI leaders such as Anthropic. Investors fear that generative AI tools could compress pricing, automate routine services work and reduce demand for legacy outsourcing models.
Against that backdrop, the improved bonus payout at Infosys is being viewed as a signal of operational resilience and near-term performance strength, even as sentiment around the broader IT sector remains cautious.
February 13, 2026, 21:44 IST
Read More
Business
Why you should consider switching bank accounts
Martin Lewis explains why now might be a good time to think about changing your bank account.
Source link
-
Entertainment1 week agoHow a factory error in China created a viral “crying horse” Lunar New Year trend
-
Tech1 week agoNew York Is the Latest State to Consider a Data Center Pause
-
Business3 days agoAye Finance IPO Day 2: GMP Remains Zero; Apply Or Not? Check Price, GMP, Financials, Recommendations
-
Tech1 week agoPrivate LTE/5G networks reached 6,500 deployments in 2025 | Computer Weekly
-
Tech1 week agoNordProtect Makes ID Theft Protection a Little Easier—if You Trust That It Works
-
Business1 week agoStock market today: Here are the top gainers and losers on NSE, BSE on February 6 – check list – The Times of India
-
Fashion3 days agoComment: Tariffs, capacity and timing reshape sourcing decisions
-
Business1 week agoMandelson’s lobbying firm cuts all ties with disgraced peer amid Epstein fallout
