UK retail footfall declines as June heatwave keeps shoppers at home

UK retail footfall fell 3.4 percent year-on-year in June as record temperatures deterred shopping trips, according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic data.

High streets recorded the steepest decline, with footfall down 6.2 percent, while shopping centres and retail parks proved more resilient, falling 2.5 percent and 0.3 percent respectively. Scotland was the only UK nation to record growth, with footfall rising 1.7 percent, while England saw the largest decline at 3 percent.

In a statement, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: "Footfall dropped in June as the record heatwave kept many shoppers indoors. High streets saw the sharpest declines, while air-conditioned shopping centres and retail parks proved more resilient."

Despite the weather-related slowdown, Dickinson warned that retailers' biggest challenge remains rising operating costs, calling for government action on business rates and energy costs to support investment and growth.

Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA at Sensormatic, added that consumers continue to make "fewer, more considered trips", with economic uncertainty and the heatwave weighing on shopping activity during the month.