Boxpark, the retail and events space, reported record trading during December as it looks to expand across the UK in 2024.
Built from repurposed shipping containers, the hospitality venues hosted various Christmas-themed events during December including music nights, family days out, and festive parties.
Boxpark has gained notability in recent years for hosting screenings of World Cup games packed with fans and in December 2022 all three of its venues (Croydon, Shoreditch and Wembley) welcomed guests for the Qatar tournament.
Despite the tough comparatives, like-for-like sales during December 2023 rose 22% year-on-year, with corporate bookings more than doubling to generate over £500,000.
The group said its marketing tactics, good-value party packages and ‘Big Friday’ music events were key in contributing to the month’s success.
This Spring, Boxpark is set to venture out of London for the first time with a site scheduled to open in Liverpool.
Venue launches in Liverpool Street and Bristol are also in the pipeline for later in 2024.
Simon Champion, Boxpark’s chief executive officer, said: “We are delighted to see such positive results over Christmas. In the current economic climate, you have to work a lot harder to draw people in and give compelling reasons to spend their cash at your venue.
“I can say that our teams worked tirelessly to create clever incentives, unrivalled events and deliver a fantastic experience for guests during the festive period. This leaves us feeling optimistic about trading over the next few months as we continue to evolve our offer.”