Boxing Day sales 2026 UK: when they start and what to expect
Boxing Day 2026 is Saturday 26 December, and many UK shops start their sales online before then, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. No major retailer had announced its 2026 sale dates as of 23 October 2026. Use the 2025 pattern below as a guide, and expect each shop to confirm closer to December.
The date and the bank holiday
Boxing Day 2026 falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. GOV.UK lists Christmas Day as Friday 25 December 2026 and the Boxing Day substitute day as Monday 28 December 2026, for England and Wales.
This matters for shoppers. Saturday 26 December is still the traditional sale day. Monday 28 December is the day off work. Some shops may treat the two days differently, so check each shop's opening hours before you travel.
When do Boxing Day sales start?
Many UK retailers start their Boxing Day sale online on Christmas Eve or earlier, and stores follow once they reopen. In 2025, Next was the clearest example.
| Retailer | 2025 online | 2025 in store | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Next | Wednesday 24 December | Saturday 27 December, many branches from about 6am; closed on Boxing Day itself | Not announced (23 Oct) |
| Marks & Spencer | Not confirmed | Large stores closed on 26 December | Not announced (23 Oct) |
| John Lewis | Not confirmed | Closed on 26 December | Not announced (23 Oct) |
Next's dates come from regional news reports of its 2025 sale, which agree on the online and in-store dates. Next also gave NextPay members early access to some deals before the main launch. We left out other shops because we could not confirm one clear 2025 date for each. We cannot confirm whether any of these shops ran a sale on Christmas Day itself, so check each shop's own site.
Which shops close on Boxing Day?
A number of large UK retailers keep stores shut on 26 December to give staff time off, and then sell online instead. In 2025, news reports said Next kept its stores closed, and M&S and John Lewis kept their large stores closed as well.
Do not plan a shop trip for 26 December without checking. Opening hours change every year. Check the shop's store page in December.
Checked 23 October 2026. Nothing is announced yet for 2026 opening hours.
How to check a Boxing Day discount is real
A sale price is only a good deal if the "was" price is a price the shop really charged. Use a price history tool to see what an item cost over the last few months. If it was cheaper in November, the Boxing Day price is not a bargain.
Do this before you buy:
- Check the price history for the exact model, not a similar one.
- Compare at two or three shops. Some will price match.
- Ignore countdown timers and "only a few left" labels.
- Compare against Black Friday 2026 prices, which are often as low or lower.
If you want to hear when a price actually drops, SAVR alerts you when a UK retailer cuts a price far enough to matter, including clearance and pricing mistakes.
Your rights on sale items
Sale items carry the same legal rights as full-price items. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described. This applies even if the item is in a sale.
For online, phone and mail-order purchases, the Consumer Contracts Regulations give you 14 days to cancel after you receive the goods. GOV.UK explains that you then have a further 14 days to send them back. This right is separate from a shop's own returns policy.
In store, you have no automatic right to change your mind. The shop's returns policy decides. Keep your receipt, and ask for a gift receipt if you are buying a present. A gift receipt lets the person you give it to exchange the item without seeing the price.
After Boxing Day: clearance
The best price can come in the weeks after Boxing Day, when shops clear Christmas stock. Read our guides to Argos clearance and TK Maxx clearance. Pricing mistakes can also appear in any sale, so read price errors in the UK to know what your rights are if you spot one.
Common questions
When is Boxing Day 2026?
Boxing Day 2026 is on Saturday 26 December. The bank holiday for it is Monday 28 December in England and Wales.
When do Boxing Day sales start?
Many UK shops start online on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. In 2025, Next started its sale online on Wednesday 24 December. No retailer had announced 2026 dates as of 23 October 2026.
When does the Next sale start in 2026?
Next has not announced its 2026 dates as of 23 October 2026. Its 2025 sale started online on Christmas Eve, with stores reopening on 27 December. Check Next's own site in December.
Are Boxing Day sales online on Christmas Day?
Some shops put sale prices online before Boxing Day, often from Christmas Eve. We could not confirm a clear Christmas Day start for any single shop, so check each shop's site.
Can I return a Boxing Day sale item?
For online purchases, yes. You can cancel within 14 days of receiving the item. Faulty items can be returned under the Consumer Rights Act, whether or not they were in a sale.
Where this fits
Boxing Day is one sale among many. To buy at a real low, you need to hear about it when the price drops. For more guides across UK shops, see the UK deals hub.
Read next: Black Friday 2026 in the UK, Argos clearance, TK Maxx clearance, UK shops that price match and price errors in the UK.