WORCESTER city centre has appeared quieter than usual on what was meant to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

With a mixture of poor weather and concerns over the spread of Omicron, shops in High Street, The Shambles and Broad Street were visible less busier than pre-pandemic years when shoppers would typically be out trying to grab themselves a bargain.

A reporter noticed no early afternoon queues to get in any of the big name stores, including Primark and TK Maxx, which might have happened in a pre-pandemic era on the first Bank Holiday after Christmas.

The scene came after reports footfall at shopping sites across the UK on Boxing Day was 41 per cent below the 2019 level.

Data from industry analyst Springboard showed the footfall in high streets was 37.7 per cent lower than in 2019, while it dropped to 48.4 per cent in shopping centres and to 40.2 per cent in retail parks - as the hoped for sales shoppers stayed away.

Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said: “A major reason for the significantly lower footfall compared with 2019 will be due to consumers’ ongoing nervousness about the Covid infection rate.

“This will have been compounded by the fact that a few multiple retailers opted not to open on Boxing Day which will have deterred some shoppers."