High street will be ‘permanently scarred’ if work from home continues at current level

Pandemic-induced work from home culture in the country has caused “permanent scarring” to the UK’s high streets, stated a report on Monday (13) citing the statement of the chief of a data firm.

Diane Wehrle, chief executive of Springboard, which tracks shop visitor numbers across the country, revealed to The Telegraph that footfall in towns and cities still remains well below pre-pandemic levels.

Even during the Jubilee weekend, when shoppers and revelers were out in force, visitor numbers only hit 80 percent of the same week in 2019.

Wehrle also added that the drop in footfall has happened as urban centres are no longer getting passing footfall from office workers. Growth in online shopping, triggered by nationwide lockdowns, has also been cited as one of contributing factors.

She further warned that if working from home continued at current levels, it would likely mean footfall would permanently remain 10 percent lower than it otherwise would be.

“It impacts footfall because workers are simply not in towns or cities as much. So, of course, it’s going to keep footfall lower than it would have been, had everyone gone back to their offices full time.

“Unless that changes, there will be a permanent scarring and certainly permanent change in the way we shop.

“Of course, that immediately impacts all the shops and the stores that service the offices in central London and other cities –  sandwich bars, the restaurants, the chemists.”

“In my view, until or unless there is a substantive return to the office by employees, then footfall will continue to remain at circa 10pc below the 2019 level,” she added.