Boxing Day 2022 sales begin: today’s top UK offers

By Imogen Hope

Published: Monday, 26 December 2022 at 12:00 am

It’s Boxing Day. The day of eating leftover turkey sandwiches, getting out of the house (and maybe away from your family) for a walk, playing with your new Christmas presents, and eventually ending up back on the sofa watching festive movies. But it’s also a great day to get your hands on a deal.

Here at RadioTimes.com, our experts have been covering the Boxing Day sales for years and are experienced in spotting the deals from the duds. So, whether you’re looking for some tech to take you into the new year, or you want to find a little present to treat yourself, we’re here to make sure you spend wisely.

Boxing Day has been a sales event in the UK since the 1990s, when Prime Minister John Major made changes to Sunday trading laws. But Boxing Day itself has its origins much earlier than that and, according to our friends at History Extra, has its roots in early Christian festivals, with the day being declared an official Bank Holiday in the ’70s.

Traditionally it was when shops had in-store discounts to clear stock from Christmas and make space for items coming in the new year. In the past, it was a great way to get hold of luxury goods for a significant amount off, plus you’ll often find Christmas items at a fraction of their normal price if you’re celebrating a bit late or just want to squirrel away some decorations or presents for next year.

Now, much like other sales events, the Boxing Day sales have moved online as well as being in store. According to Finder, residents in London are much more likely to spend on Boxing Day, spending over £400 more on average in 2021 compared to the next highest spending region, Yorkshire and Humber. This indicates that there will still be those who are heading to the flagship stores today in search of a good discount.

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Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Boxing Day sales, plus our picks of the best deals out there.

Which UK shops and retailers have Boxing Day sales this year?

Many UK shops and retailers have sales this Boxing Day, they include:

Best deals in the UK Boxing Day sales 2022

Claim a £300 Adidas voucher when you buy selected Samsung products

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Get up to £300 to spend at Adidas when you buy from the Samsung website. The amount on the voucher depends on your Samsung purchase. For example, get a £300 voucher when you buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, or a £75 voucher when you make a smaller purchase like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.

Claim a £300 Adidas voucher when you buy selected Samsung products

Guardians of the Galaxy LEGO Advent Calendar | £29.99 £20.99 (save £9 or 30%)

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If you’re looking to start making a dent in next year’s Christmas shopping, these advent calendar deals are a great saving. You can now get the Guardian of the Galaxy and Harry Potter LEGO advent calendars for only £20.99 at LEGO. That’s a 30% saving.

Guardians of the Galaxy LEGO Advent Calendar | £29.99 £20.99 (save £9 or 30%)

Apple Watch Ultra | £849 £819 (save £30 + an extra £120 when you trade in)

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Apple

This new rugged Apple Watch was only released back in September so it’s great to see some discounts on it. Right now at John Lewis, you can get £30 off, plus an extra £120 if you trade in an old Apple Watch.

Key features of this Apple Watch include it being swimproof down to a depth of 100 metres, a battery life of 36 hours and precision GPS.

Apple Watch Ultra | £849 £819 (save £30 + an extra £120 when you trade in)

Echo Dot (5th Gen) | £54.99 £26.99 (save £26 or 51%)

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Get over half-price off this new smart speaker. This 2022 version of the Amazon Echo Dot comes in three colours; the classic charcoal, deep sea blue and glacier white. As always, you have voice control via Alexa, can pair it with compatible devices like your Ring doorbell and play music through apps such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Echo Dot (5th Gen) | £54.99 £26.99 (save £26 or 51%)

Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor and Blender | £199 £149 (save £50 or 25%)

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Get 25% off this Ninja Food Processor, now only £149. It comes with a 1.8L food processor bowl with feed chute lid, 2.1L multi-serve blending jug, 700ml cup with no-spill spout lid. A great investment if you’re looking for new ways to get more fruit and vegetables in your diet.

This isn’t the only Ninja saving to be had. Very also have savings across Ninja multi-cookers and grills.

Ninja 3-in-1 Food Processor and Blender | £199 £149 (save £50 or 25%)

What time do Boxing Day sales start?

As the name would suggest, the Boxing Day sales usually start today, on the morning of 26th December.

However, sales periods have got longer as they’ve moved online, and it isn’t uncommon for some retailers to begin the sales before Christmas Day to try and encourage consumers to spend.

In the past few years, we’ve seen an increasing number of big retailers launching their online sales on Christmas Eve, 24th December, and we expect many have done the same this year.

How long do Boxing Day sales last?

It can be difficult to say when Boxing Day sales end. This is because a lot of retailers also hold big sales in January, and will often merge their deals at the end of the Christmas period into the new year.

Since it has been a year with a lot of stock and supply issues, as well as long delivery times, we would recommend that if you’ve got your eye on something, you buy it when it reaches a price you’re comfortable with as stock may be extremely limited.

We are expecting to see most retailers ending their sales period in between mid and late January.

Black Friday vs Boxing Day: which sales are better?

For a long time in the UK, Boxing Day was the most significant sales day, with Black Friday being much bigger in the USA in line with their Thanksgiving celebrations. However, as more retailers and shoppers have moved online there has been a shift.

Black Friday is now the largest sales event of the year in the UK, with many retailers cutting their prices for the entirety of November. But this doesn’t mean there won’t be some really great deals this Boxing Day, and we are here to find the biggest savings as well as the offers which are the best value.

Since Boxing Day takes place after Christmas, it’s a time when a lot of retailers clear out their stock ready for the new year, when brands might be making new releases. This especially applies to products like phones and tablets where new models are released annually, and it can be a good time to get hold of top technology at good value.

Looking for more guidance on what phone or tablet to pick up in the sales? Check out our guide to the best smartphones in 2022 and the best tablets in 2022.