UK: Weekly footfall declines following Bank Holiday boost, high streets hit hardest

Over the week spanning May 4 to 10, footfall across the UK saw a notable 3.3 percent decline compared to the week prior, largely driven by a significant 4.8 percent drop in high street activity. Retail parks and shopping centres also recorded declines, albeit less substantial, of 1.2 and 2.5 percent, respectively.

While initially of concern, MRI Software, which reported the data, said the declines could actually be reflective of trends normalising, following the fluctuations of the Easter period and Early May Day Bank Holiday being in unusually close proximity.

This is despite a strong start to week 19, in which footfall at retail parks and shopping centres rose by 8.6 and 7 percent, respectively, thanks to Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Figures subsided over the remaining part of the week, however, indicating a return to schools and offices.

This latter point was further reflected in week-on-week declines across coastal and market towns of 3.8 and 5 percent respectively. This was topped a 7.9 percent drop in footfall throughout Central London.

Compared to 2024, there was a marginal rise in footfall at retail parks and shopping centres at 1.1 and 0.1 percent. High Streets, however, recorded a year-on-year decline of 3.6 percent, “reflective of the ongoing shifts in shopper habits amid cost-of-living pressures”, MRI noted.