Agency to trial Boxing Day opening to take ‘piece of the pie’

Independent agency ArrangeMY Escape will break with tradition and open its Worcester branch on Boxing Day to capitalise on high street shoppers seeking bargains.

General manager Jennifer Lynch said the opportunity arose because two members of staff had wanted time off together in the summer for a colleague’s wedding – so the compromise was to work on December 26, when the shop would normally close.

“I’ve debated it for years, but booking patterns have shifted so noticeably it felt like the right moment to test the waters,” she said.

“The demand starts as soon as Christmas Day adverts roll.

“I don’t expect a blockbuster day, but sometimes the industry moves in ways that require us to rethink old habits.”

Lynch admitted it was a “really difficult” decision that has “played on my mind for a long time” because staff would ordinarily expect to have the day off.

“On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, you see holiday offers and people on Facebook saying: ‘I have booked a holiday’… Are we losing a share of the market? It’s painful,” she said. “It is a trial, to see how it goes.”

She believes it might also attract new clients who are out shopping.

“Operators will be making bookings. It is a piece of that pie that I want,” she said.

Peaks in January 2025 were “very good”, but she noted consumers now seem to have more money concerns.

“We hope to be as successful, if not better, than last year. Boxing Day might give us a head start,” she said.

The agency’s Malvern branch will not open, because it is in a smaller, quieter town, but footfall in Worcester will be higher, Lynch said.

“We have more shops opening –Marks & Spencer, Next and Primark will have sales. The agents on duty on Boxing Day will have a chance to make sales; it will be a good opportunity.”

She noted working hours will be shorter than normal and both agencies will close on Christmas Eve.

Also, instead of Sunday opening in January staff will attend two wedding fairs on Sundays next month.

The luxury agency will not be alone in opening on Boxing Day. Tui and Hays Travel will open selected stores, but these are largely restricted to major shopping centres.