Shoppers returning to high street with caution

The latest figures from FootFall show an expected increase in the number of people visiting retail destinations across the UK last week as Valentines Day and the half-term school holidays combined to give retailers a much needed boost. Despite this, the sector experienced a 6.9% fall in shopper numbers compared to the same week in 2005, causing some concern.

A spokeswoman at FootFall said "While Valentines Day provided some relief for retailers, there is still a lot of work to done before High Street shopper numbers reach those of early 2005. The size of the year-on-year fall may partly be due to the half-term holidays being staggered across two weeks in different parts of the UK, though it is also indicative of the reduced consumer confidence levels we've seen this year, marked by a reduction in credit spending levels and in the number of mortgage approvals.

"For department stores, the picture remains brighter than on the High Street. Last week showed an increase of 15% in visitor numbers compared to the previous week, as major Valentines Day marketing campaigns successfully helped drive shoppers into stores. The sector did, however, record the first year-on-year fall in shopper numbers since the last week of 2005 though the high profile introduction of Spring 2006 product ranges is likely to help department stores maintain the momentum gathered in recent weeks."