UK footfall saw a rise in February with highest spike seen in high streets though slowing down a bit after the rush of Christmas shopping and January sales.
According to BRC-Sensormatic IQ data for February, footfall increased by 10.4 per cent in February (YoY), 2.1 percentage points worse than January and worse than the 3-month average increase of 12.8 per cent.
High Street footfall increased by 17.8 per cent in February (YoY), 2.4 percentage points worse than last month’s rate and worse than the 3-month average rise of 18.4 per cent.
Shopping Centre footfall increased by 11.7 per cent in February (YoY), 0.7 percentage points worse than last month’s rate but marginally better than the 3-month average rise of 11.3 per cent.
Retail Parks saw footfall decrease by 3.3 per cent in February (YoY), 0.2 percentage points better than last month’s rate but the same as the 3-month average decline of 3.3 per cent.
Wales saw the highest increase in footfall of all nations at 14.9 per cent, followed by Scotland at 14.5 per cent and Northern Ireland at 12.7 per cent. England saw the lowest increase at 11.8 per cent.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels (Yo4Y), total Footfall was 8.8 per cent lower; High Streets by 7.7 per cent, Retail Parks decreased by 2.7 per cent, and Shopping Centres by 23.3 per cent.
“Some people are making fewer visits as the cost of living continues to bear down ahead of the April energy price rise. Despite this, high streets continue to show the biggest improvement compared to last year, when concerns around Covid kept people away from town and city centres. Footfall at retail parks suffered as customers switched back to shopping centres and high streets, which are being buoyed by returns of the office commute.
“Consumer demand remains fragile, owing to the ongoing cost of living crisis and weak consumer confidence. Many retailers are investing in their store experience, and all continue to support customers with the cost of living. But it is vital that Government does not burden the retail industry with additional regulatory costs that hinder investment.”
Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions, commented that facing multidirectional headwinds – from the long shadow cast by covid to the ongoing consumer caution caused by the rising cost-of-living – we are, at least, starting to see footfall normalising.
“While the fluctuations in footfall are now less volatile, creating a new baseline against which to benchmark High Street performance, it doesn’t mean the footfall recovery has yet fully turned a corner.
“Retailers are still grappling with underlying uncertainty as they try to keep pace in the context of these multifaceted challenges. Looking ahead, delivering value – whether that’s through ranging or by giving shoppers compelling reasons to visit stores – will remain central to turning the tide on footfall performance.”
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