Fashion
UK consumers to spend £3.6bn in Boxing Day sales – Barclays report
Published
December 26, 2025
Expect consumer spending on Boxing Day to possibly fall short of the sales event’s previous two years as concerns over the cost of living weigh heavily on decision-making, says to the Barclays Consumer Spend report.
But fashion does remain the top shoppers’ choice with beauty not far behind.
Some 69% say cost pressures will impact their spending this year, up from 47% in 2024.
UK consumers are expecting to spend £3.6 billion this time, lower than the £4.6 billion predicted in 2024 and £4.7 billion in 2023. The good news is that the average shopper intends to increase their budget by £17 compared to 2024. That said, there’ll be fewer consumers taking part at 26% down from 28% a year ago.
As mentioned, clothes, footwear and accessories all remain top this year, chosen by 37% after the category saw subdued spending in 2025.
Third is beauty products (20%), behind food and drink (27%), but ahead of homewares (20%) and discounted Christmas items (19%) ranked next.
Meanwhile, nearly half (44% ) say they plan to shop at some point during the Christmas sales period, and for this group, the January sales are the most popular time to do so, chosen by 89%.
The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) is now having an increasing influence with shoppers embracing AI and other smart tools in their hunt for deals.
And AI’s also having an influence on where consumers shop, with the report noting its use “demonstrates a renewed enthusiasm for the experience of shopping in-store”.
Demand for in-store shopping remains strong, continuing to be a Boxing Day tradition for many sales fans, as 49% of those who will browse the Boxing Day sales plan to visit shops in-person.
Those hitting the high street say they prefer to see and touch items before they buy (42%), that they like the human interaction (27%) and that they view the sales as a nice Christmas activity (26%.
People also say they would be even more inclined to visit the shops if they were offered in-store-only discounts (29%), easier access (24%), or free items with purchases (21%).
As for shopping digitally, the survey says that convenience is key with online shopping now being supported by the use of AI tools.
Online shopping remains the preference for 40%, and AI is “transforming how people seek out deals online”. Some 37% say they use AI and/or smart tools when shopping, rising to 53% for those aged 18-34.
These shoppers are turning to AI and smart tools to research products (43%), compare prices and deals (34%), generate gift ideas (31%) and set up personalised alerts (25%).
For many, the technology “provides reassurance and efficiency” with 72% saying it saves time by narrowing down the best deals, while two thirds (65%) trust AI to help find discounts. However, 50% do worry that AI tools may encourage overspending.
However, in light of growing cost-of-living concerns, a quarter (25% will only buy what they consider to be essentials in the sales. For those shopping for beauty and skincare specifically, 45% will use the sales to pick up their go-to products at lower prices, while 33% will be searching for premium beauty brands at a discount.
Karen Johnson, head of Retail at Barclays, said: “Boxing Day is still a pivotal moment for retailers, fuelled by Christmas nostalgia, but it has evolved to reflect modern consumer demands. This year, we’re likely to see a balanced blend of online convenience, experiential retail and increasingly mindful purchasing.”
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Fashion
China’s Lanvin Group sees 17.6% drop in preliminary FY25 revenue
Despite the overall decline, the group indicated improving momentum in the second half of 2025, with revenue contraction narrowing significantly compared to the first half. This trend reflects early gains from ongoing transformation initiatives, including operational restructuring, cost discipline, and retail network optimisation.
Lanvin Group has reported revenue of €240.5 million (~$276.58 million) in FY25, down 17.6 per cent YoY, amid global luxury headwinds.
While Lanvin and Sergio Rossi declined sharply, St John remained resilient.
North America was stable, but China weakened significantly.
The group continues restructuring, leadership changes, and retail optimisation, targeting stronger growth and profitability by 2026.
At the brand level, performance remained mixed. Lanvin and Sergio Rossi both recorded sharp declines of 30 per cent, while Wolford fell 14 per cent. St John showed resilience, with revenue slipping just 1 per cent, supported by an 8 per cent increase in North America in local currency terms. Wolford’s performance stabilised during the year, aided by improved supply conditions and stronger traction in e-commerce and wholesale channels. Meanwhile, Lanvin progressed in its creative repositioning under artistic director Peter Copping, Lanvin said in a press release.
Regionally, North America has emerged as the most stable market, with revenue declining a modest 6 per cent to €116 million. In contrast, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) revenues fell 21 per cent, while Greater China saw a steep 42 per cent drop, reflecting softer demand and cautious wholesale activity. Other markets declined 26 per cent, underscoring broader global volatility in luxury consumption.
Across channels, direct-to-consumer (DTC) and e-commerce revenues declined 18 per cent to €164 million, while wholesale revenues fell 15 per cent. The Group continued to streamline its retail footprint, including selective store closures and organisational adjustments, as part of its broader efficiency drive.
Leadership changes also supported the transformation, with Marco Pozzo appointed CEO of Wolford, Barbara Werschine as deputy CEO of Lanvin, and Mandy West as CEO of St John. These appointments are aimed at strengthening brand execution and accelerating strategic priorities, added the release.
Looking ahead, Lanvin Group expects to largely complete its transformation programme in 2026. The company plans to deepen its presence in core markets, expand asset-light business models, and pursue strategic partnerships, while continuing creative renewal across its portfolio. These efforts are intended to reinforce long-term growth and improve profitability amid an evolving global luxury landscape.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
Fashion
Trump’s tariffs had limited impact on US economy: Study
Despite the tariff hike being larger than the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariffs, the aggregate impact on the US economy appears small—between 0.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and minus 0.13 per cent, wrote Pablo Fajgelbaum, professor of economics at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Amit Khandelwal, Don-Soo Hahn professor of global affairs and economics at Yale University.
Though President Donald Trump’s 2025 tariff hikes raised US trade protectionism to the highest level in at least 80 years, these so far have had only a small effect on the US economy, a paper discussed at the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity conference recently noted.
That is because federal revenue generated by the tariffs and gains to US producers largely offset the tariffs paid by US importers.
That is because federal revenue generated by the tariffs and gains to US producers largely offset the tariffs paid by US importers, they wrote.
While the aggregate net economic impact may be small, the authors noted that the tariffs also have distributional impacts between producers and importers. They estimate roughly 90 per cent of the tariffs have been passed through to importers, with foreign exporters absorbing only about 10 per cent of the cost by lowering their before-tariff prices.
Except from China, the majority of US exports have not faced retaliatory tariffs. And, the tariffs’ magnitude may be smaller than perceived by the public because announced tariffs “exceeded the actual tariffs imposed at the border,” they wrote.
Moreover, 57 per cent of imports entered the US duty-free. That includes most imports from Canada and Mexico, which enter under the United States-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement of 2020.
The authors found evidence that the tariffs are achieving the administration’s objectives of raising federal revenue and decoupling trade with China. However, they found no evidence, or said it is too early to determine, whether other stated goals will be met, including lowering import prices excluding tariffs, reducing the US trade deficit, increasing trade with friendly nations, boosting manufacturing jobs and wages, and reshoring strategic industries, a release from the Brookings Institution said.
The authors found that the reduction of US-China trade, which began shrinking with the application of tariffs in 2018, during the first Trump administration, “accelerated markedly in 2025”. However, the overall US goods trade deficit in 2025 rose modestly from 2024 and manufacturing jobs declined slightly despite the tariffs.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Fashion
Middle East conflict clouds India’s economic outlook
The economic trajectory, which remained steady until early 2026, is now facing fresh headwinds as the conflict has disrupted key global supply chains, especially in energy and logistics, critical pillars of India’s economic stability.
The latest Monthly Economic Review by India’s Department of Economic Affairs projects a more uncertain economic outlook, citing disruptions to energy supplies and trade routes amid the Middle East conflict.
However, strong domestic growth, steady credit expansion, and resilient services exports continue to cushion the impact.
Despite rising risks, India has entered this phase from a sector steady.
The scale of disruption is stark. Ship movements through the Strait of Hormuz have nearly come to a standstill, from 200-300 a week to one a week, the review notes. This dramatic slowdown has tightened global oil and gas supply, pushing prices higher and increasing volatility across international markets.
The report warns of supply disruptions to oil, gas and fertilisers, higher import prices, higher logistics costs, and a possible decline in remittances by Indians in the Gulf countries.
These risks are particularly significant for India, which relies heavily on energy imports and has a large expatriate workforce in the Gulf region, contributing to remittance inflows.
Despite the risks, the review says India entered this phase from a position of strength.
On the domestic front, industrial activity has remained resilient.
“Retail inflation rose to a 10-month high of 3.21 per cent in February 2026, driven primarily by a sharp uptick in food prices,” said the review.
At the same time, the financial system continues to support growth. Bank credit expanded strongly, and the overall flow of financial resources to the commercial sector grew at 33.2 per cent (YoY).
The Finance Ministry review report emphasises the need for policy vigilance amid rising uncertainty.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
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