The retail sector in the UK has experienced a decline in footfall, attributed to the early holiday departures of consumers seeking better weather.
- In June, the overall footfall in UK retail destinations dropped by 1.4% compared to the same period last year.
- High streets and shopping centres faced their first decline in footfall since 2019, before the pandemic era.
- Despite a drop in year-on-year footfall, there was a monthly increase from May to June, spurred by events such as the Euro’s and Taylor Swift’s tour.
- The second half of June saw noticeable improvements, with weekly high street footfall increasing significantly toward the month’s end.
Footfall across UK retail venues dropped by 1.4% in June from the previous year, with data indicating a significant impact from consumers embarking on earlier holidays to avoid the unfavourable weather. This decline highlights a challenging start to the summer season.
A notable decrease of 2.3% was observed in footfall on high streets, while shopping centres also experienced a drop of 1.3%. In contrast, retail parks demonstrated resilience with a slight increase of 0.5%. This marks the first instance of a decline in June’s footfall for high streets and shopping centres since the pre-pandemic period in 2019.
Although there were annual declines, month-to-month comparisons reveal a more optimistic scenario. Footfall increased by 2.7% from May to June, driven by rises of 3.8% in shopping centres and 3.1% on high streets, with retail parks also showing a modest 0.7% increase. The upward trend was primarily documented in the latter part of June.
The latter half of the month showed improvements with major events providing a boost. Footfall was positively influenced by the Euro’s football event, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, and brief favourable weather conditions, contributing to a recovery of 7.3% in high street footfall during the final week of June.
According to MRI Software’s Consumer Pulse Survey conducted in May, 46.5% of respondents planned to travel abroad during the year, with July and August identified as peak months for such trips. This suggests potential further declines in footfall as more individuals are expected to take holidays in the coming months.
The UK retail sector faces an uneven recovery, with fluctuating footfall impacted by external factors such as holiday trends and events.
