UK: Footfall increases significantly in April as holiday dates shift

Footfall took a 7.2 percent year-on-year leap in April as dates for the Easter holidays shifted from those in 2024. This was also a positive change on the 5.4 percent decrease reported in March, according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic.

When considering just March and April together, and thus cancelling out the later date of Easter last year, total footfall rose by just 0.2 percent, underlining the artificially higher April figures and lower March footfall.

Over the four weeks to May 3, retail parks saw the biggest YoY increase in footfall at 7.5 percent, followed by shopping centres at 5.6 percent. High streets, meanwhile, welcomed a 5.3 percent increase in footfall. All retail destinations experienced declines in footfall in the month prior.

Northern Ireland reported the most significant uptick in footfall at 14.3 percent, followed by Wales at 13.6 percent, Scotland at 6.9 percent and England at 6.7 percent. For the latter, Manchester and Liverpool drove the way recording double-digit improvements in footfall.

In a release, BRC’s chief executive, Helen Dickinson, cited “welcome rays of sunshine” as the core encouragement for shoppers to head to local shopping destinations in April. She did, however, express caution over the government’s current proposals to business rates reform plans, which Dickinson said could lead to higher bills for many stores on UK high streets.