West End stores fight to save Sunday Boxing Day sales

A campaign to save the Boxing Day sales has been launched by the 600 retailers in Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street.

This year's Boxing Day falls on a Sunday for the first time in six years and limited trading hours will result in a £50 million reduction in West End takings.

Under Sunday trading laws, retailers with stores of more than 280 square metres, which accounts for 99 per cent of West End stores, are restricted to six hours of trading between 10am and 6pm. Boxing Day will not fall on a
Sunday again until 2021.

Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas, chairman of New West End Company, said: "Boxing Day traditionally marks the launch of the January sales and a strong trading day is a vital boost to the retail industry and the UK economy, as it recovers from the global recession."

New West End Company has called for a one-off Emergency Enterprise Bill after the election to allow customers to shop for longer on Boxing Day.