The UK has witnessed its first footfall rise in over a year with a 3.3% increase in September.
- Retail parks saw the highest growth in footfall, increasing by 7.3% compared to August.
- High street and shopping centres also noted footfall improvements in September.
- Mild weather and last year’s weak figures contributed to the increase.
- Retailers remain cautiously optimistic despite the positive trends observed.
In September, the UK experienced its first rise in footfall in over a year, showing a 3.3% increase compared to the previous year. This data, sourced from the BRC-Sensormatic Footfall Monitor, covers a period of five weeks from 25 August to 28 September. Analysts suggest this uptick is due to both favourable weather conditions and weaker footfall figures from the same period last year.
Retail parks led the growth, with a 7.3% increase in footfall from the previous month, a significant improvement from the 2.6% rise seen earlier. High street areas also experienced a modest 0.9% rise in footfall, recovering from a -0.3% drop in August. Shopping centres enjoyed a 2.3% increase, a marked recovery from the negative -1.8% change noted the prior month.
The rise in footfall was observed across all four devolved nations. Wales saw the largest increase at 5.4% year-on-year, followed by England at 3.6%, Northern Ireland at 2.5%, and Scotland with a 0.7% rise. Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, indicated that the mild temperatures were key in driving this change, placing retailers in a favourable position for additional shopping trips as opposed to last year’s heatwave which deterred consumers.
Andy Sumpter, EMEA retail consultant for Sensormatic, echoed this sentiment, noting that retail parks continued to be appealing, thanks to their mix of out-of-town supermarkets and discount outlets. This increase in foot traffic is attributed to the consumer shift towards such convenient shopping destinations during times of increased rainfall, which was another factor in September’s performance.
Despite the optimism surrounding these figures, caution is advised. The positive growth is built upon last year’s lower baseline due to the September heatwave of 2023, which suppressed consumer activity. Retailers are hopeful that these footfall increases will convert into actual sales, although some remain wary as they assess the sustainability of this recovery.
The September rise in UK footfall marks a positive shift, but retailers remain cautiously optimistic about future trends.
