October footfall marginally drops due to inclement weather

Retail footfall across the UK took a slight dip over the month of October as inclement weather conditions and a shift in school half term holidays kept shoppers at home.

According to MRI Software, from September 29 to October 26, footfall fell -0.6 percent across all retail destinations compared to the month prior. The same decline was also recorded when compared to 2023 levels.

Retail parks led the way at a drop of -1.3 percent, followed by shopping centres, for which footfall fell -1.2 percent. High streets, meanwhile, saw a -0.1 percent decline.

While weekend footfall fell -0.6 percent year-on-year throughout October, from Wednesday to Friday, high streets welcomed notable growth, with footfall up 4.3 percent when compared to 2023 levels, signalling a return to office shift for many businesses.

Consumer confidence for October did subtly drop by one point, however, returning the UK back to the same level it was at in March 204.

MRI said the drop was led by “perceptions changing around the general economic situation over the last 12 months and as the Autumn Budget approached”, making it clear consumers were waiting before considering significant purchases.

Looking ahead, data proved to be slightly more positive. In a poll by MRI, 68 percent of retailers said they had noticed customers already beginning to Christmas shop, while 66 percent were optimistic that footfall would be higher in November this year compared to 2023.

This comes despite incoming disruption in London, where tube strikes and overtime bans at the beginning of November could result in a decline in footfall, albeit of a more modest scale.