Shopper numbers drop for the second month in a row

Overall UK retail footfall witnessed a 1.0 percent decline last month compared to year-on-year, an increase from the 0.8 percent drop in April, according to the latest data from Springboard. All three nation reported a decline in shopper footfall in May, with Wales reporting the most notable fall of 4.3 percent, which is significantly below the UK average of -1.0 percent for the month.

Both high streets and shopping centers witnessed a decline last month, falling 1.5 percent and 2.0 percent respectively, whilst footfall in out-of-town locations, or retail parks, saw a 1.4 percent increase year-on-year. This was an improvement from the 0.5 percent growth in April, a continuation of a positive trend. "The negative position of high streets and shopping centres is in sharp contrast with the positive footfall result of 1.4 per cent in retail parks," commented Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard.

"Recording an increase in footfall for the past 17 consecutive months which has averaged 2.2 per cent, retail parks are clearly the winners in the grab for consumers across bricks and mortar retail destinations. This brings into sharp contrast the long term downward trend in high streets and shopping centres, where out of the last 17 months footfall has fallen in all but one month in high streets and two months in shopping centres."

"The success of retail parks is undoubtedly a function of owner driven change that has led to the introduction of a family based leisure offer in many out of town locations that previously fulfilled a purely functional role. This, in combination with plentiful and free car parking has enhanced the attraction of retail parks and improved their efficiency as click and collect locations for the ever increasing number of omni-channel shoppers. The high cost of parking in high streets and shopping centres, together with elongated travel times due to congestion means that urban destinations are at an obvious and increasing disadvantage."