BRC: December footfall falters despite uplift in latter half

New figures from BRC-Sensormatic have revealed a notable decline in footfall for the month of December, as shoppers held off for post-Christmas sales.

According to the data, total UK footfall fell 2.9 percent year-on-year (YoY), while for the three months to December, footfall decreased 2.2 percent. Compared to November, footfall was down 0.8 percent.

Shopping centres were the hardest hit, recording a drop in YoY footfall of 5.1 percent in December, and a decrease of 1.3 percent compared to November. This was followed by retail parks, which experienced a 2.5 percent YoY decline, and high streets, with a drop of 0.9 percent.

Footfall also fell across all nations. England and Wales saw the largest decline at 3.1 percent, followed by Northern Ireland with a decline of 1.7 percent and Scotland at a drop of 1.5 percent.

In a statement, BRC chief executive, Helen Dickinson, cited rising bills and food costs as the cause of consumers holding off on shopping until post-Christmas sales. This was reflected in data that showed the week after Christmas was the only one to see a significant uplift in activity.

December’s figures ended what was an overall challenging year for footfall. Total shopping traffic was down 0.8 percent compared to 2024, “reflecting the continuing evolution in shopping habits and the retail landscape,” Dickinson noted.