UK footfall increases for 4th consecutive week

New figures released by retail intelligence agency Springboard show shoppers were increasingly willing to travel to retail destinations last week, despite the arctic cold.

“Despite Beast from the East 2 hitting virtually all of the UK at some point last week, footfall across retail destinations continued to rise from the week before. The weather did impact high streets, but it was more than compensated for by increases in footfall in shopping centres and retail parks,” commented Diane Wehrle, Springboard Marketing and Insights Director.

“Last week was the fourth consecutive week in which footfall has increased from the week before, delivering ever more evidence that shoppers are experiencing lockdown fatigue and are increasingly willing to travel to retail destinations, whatever the weather. In fact, in the seven weeks since Lockdown 3 came into effect on Boxing Day, the only declines have been in the first three weeks of the lockdown, which included the two weeks following Christmas when footfall typically drops anyway.”

The drop in footfall from the same week last year is now the lowest it’s been since the second week of the lockdown.”

Central London remains one of the hardest hit destinations with the loss of tourists and commuters and ongoing store closures. Last week retailers called for greater financial support from the government after the UK’s Covid lockdowns in 2020 cost 22bn pounds in lost non-food sales. The high street saw the greatest drop, down 24 percent, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Image: Artem Beliaikin / Unsplash