Rise in footfall: Brits head back to the high street

The high street saw a surge in footfall over the weekend, as easing of restrictions and opening of leisure businesses saw a 19.6 percent rise on Saturday and 28.3 rise on Sunday in comparison to the weekend before.

Latest data from Springboard reveals London footfall rose by even more than across England; by 26 percent on Saturday and by over 40 percent on Sunday, increasing by 62.8 percent from the week before post 5pm on Sunday.

As consumers enjoyed the reopening of hospitality and leisure, it was clear to see that retail trading was less of a priority in England. In shopping centres, where there is a limited offering of restaurants and venues with alcohol permits, the rise was just 6 percent on Saturday and 10.7 percent on Sunday.

In Scotland, footfall rose significantly which was a result of the easing of travel restrictions and the opening of stores with high street frontages; more than doubling from the week before in high streets on Saturday, up 102.7 percent and 81.9 percent higher from the week before on Sunday.

Diane Wehrle, Insights Director at Springboard commented: “Despite what are positive signs for the hospitality industry on the first weekend of reopening, it is essential to recognise that footfall remains at around half of the 2019 level, with a decline of -57.7 percent across all destinations in England on Saturday, and -53.4 percent on Sunday. As the industry takes small steps in reopening post pandemic, we recognise there is still a long way to go before the industry returns to normality.”

Photo credit: Fashion United