UK retail footfall declines in July amid heatwave

New figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic have shown that UK retail footfall continued to decline in July, with extreme heat impacting visits to high streets.

Total UK footfall fell 2.1 percent year-on-year during the four weeks to August 1, improving from the 3.4 percent decline recorded in June.

High streets saw the largest decline, with footfall down 3.8 percent compared with the same period last year. Shopping centre visits fell 1.4 percent, while retail parks were the only destination type to record growth, increasing 1.2 percent year-on-year.

Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded increases in footfall, up 2.7 percent and 2.6 percent respectively, while Wales remained flat. England saw footfall decline by 3 percent, with London down 5.3 percent.

In a statement, BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the heatwave had “continued to bear down on retail footfall”, particularly affecting high streets as consumers avoided travel during soaring temperatures.

Sensormatic’s Andy Sumpter said the hot and dry weather had likely contributed to fewer shopping trips, but noted that retail parks had returned to growth, suggesting consumers were still visiting retail destinations despite making fewer overall trips.