They offer a quick read on post-Christmas demand, discount depth, and inventory health for global retailers. Weak sales can hit sentiment for discretionary stocks and weigh on advertising, payments, and travel. While not decisive for the US, they can nudge positioning when liquidity is thin.

Barclays expects £3.6 billion in Boxing Day spend, below last year. That suggests consumers remained cautious despite promotions. It also implies limited upside for margins and a slower inventory clean-up. Markets will weigh this against US card-spend data and early January macro prints to judge durability.

UK retail footfall measures shopper visits to stores and malls. It is an early signal for conversion potential, markdown pressure, and store productivity. Lower footfall often means heavier promotions to move inventory, which can hurt margins and guide retailers’ commentary into January updates.