Next, DFS and Selfridges are all gearing up for Boxing Day Sales in spite of Boris Johnson’s warnings to the public.

The prime minister urged shoppers to rethink their Boxing Day plans and avoid crowds given the rising number of Covid-19 cases across the UK.

Johnson said at a press conference this week: “Whatever your plans for Christmas, please think carefully about avoiding crowds in the Boxing Day Sales.”

Retailers including Marks & Spencer, Pets at Home, Wickes, John Lewis, The Entertainer, Kingfisher, Beaverbrooks and Asda have all decided to close their doors to the public on Boxing Day to keep customers safe and allow their colleagues more time to spend with loved ones after a tough year.

From Christmas Eve onwards, all non-essential shops in Wales will also be closed with a review taking place every three weeks. 

However, Next, Selfridges and DFS are three of the retailers choosing to remain open in the rest of the UK for the festive Sales event.

DFS said it has introduced a new smart queuing system to help manage crowds. Customers will be able to join a virtual queue using their mobile phone and will be told when they are allowed to enter the store.

Next said it had already safely operated a Sale during the pandemic so was prepared for Boxing Day, with customer numbers in-store being heavily controlled.