August footfall growth remains modest yet regional cities charge ahead

Footfall in August rose marginally by 0.3 percent compared to the same month last year, with high streets leading the way at a 0.8 percent uptick in activity, according to data from MRI Software. While shopping centres also reported a slight increase of 0.1 percent, retail parks were the only destination to witness a decline, with footfall dropping 0.9 percent.

Despite a positive yearly trajectory, activity in August fell 0.6 percent compared to July, driven by a 1.6 percent drop in high street traffic. This contrasted modest gains of 0.1 percent and 0.8 percent at retail parks and shopping centers, respectively.

In the way of geographical data, regional cities outside of London saw footfall increase 6.4 percent YoY, while Central London also recorded an uptick of 1.6 percent. MRI said major events helped to boost these figures. Coastal towns enjoyed the sharpest month-on-month increase at 9.5 percent, yet, compared to last year, levels were 1.2 percent lower.

MRI said August’s results reflected a sense of resilience within retail stores, with footfall continuing to stabilise, despite the economic backdrop. Naturally, the school break was a key driver of the month, particularly due to the extended period blurring weekday and weekend behaviours, both reporting slight upticks compared to last year, yet MRI expressed caution over converting seasonal traffic into sustained momentum.