Family-owned diamond, jewellery, and watch retailer Beaverbrooks has announced it will once again close all 89 of its UK stores on Boxing Day, maintaining a long-standing tradition. The company is also encouraging other retailers to adopt a similar approach, allowing employees to enjoy more time with loved ones during the festive period.
After a challenging year for the retail industry in 2024, Beaverbrooks is focusing on its people as it heads into the busy Christmas season. As part of this commitment, the company will not only give staff Boxing Day off but will also continue its tradition of gifting all employees an additional week’s salary in December as a token of appreciation for their hard work.
Anna Blackburn, Managing Director at the 105-year-old retailer, explained the importance of maintaining this practice: “There is no escaping the fact that 2024 has been a challenging year for many retailers, with rising costs and fluctuating sales impacting the sector. This Christmas period is set to be hugely important – not to mention busy – so it is more important to us now than ever before to continue our Boxing Day tradition across our 89 stores.”
She added, “As a business run on strong family values, we want to give our amazing colleagues more much-deserved time to spend with their friends and family after a busy festive period – something that has been, and always will be, incredibly important to us. Putting people at the heart of every decision we make is key to creating a more engaged and stronger workforce, which ensures our people deliver exceptional levels of customer service. Hopefully, we can inspire other businesses to follow in our footsteps to thank the hard-working people employed in retail this Christmas.”
