Back to work boosts UK footfall for 5th consecutive week

For the fifth consecutive week footfall rose in all UK retail destinations from the week before, said retail intelligence and traffic counter Springboard.

Diane Wehrle, Springboard Marketing and Insights Director, commented: “Footfall rose across all types of town centre last week, with an acceleration in the increase in footfall in city centres outside of London accompanied by a lesser uplift in footfall occurred in Central London; in part this is likely to be driven by employees outside of the capital heading back into their offices to a greater degree than in previous weeks. With footfall volumes being much greater in Central London than in cities elsewhere, a smaller increase in activity in the capital versus cities across the UK dampens growth in high street footfall in overall terms.”

“Whilst there was once again a rise in footfall last week, the modest scale of the uplift from the week before was not enough to narrow the gap from the 2019 footfall level, which widened from the week before."

The news comes as London is to see the biggest annual rise in transport prices as Transport for London will increase tube and bus fares by an average of five per cent. An increase in transport costs will certainly affect retail footfall in the capital for those traveling by public transport.