Footfall news and archive

Footfall marginally rises in August driven by shopping centre traffic

New data from MRI Software has suggested that retail footfall in the UK remained resilient throughout August in the face of nationwide riots and the summer holiday period. The platform reported that footfall rose marginally among all retail destinations by 0.9 percent over the four weeks from July 28 to August 24, with shopping centres leading...

Retail

Taylor Swift bumps up week-on-week London footfall

US pop giant Taylor Swift returned to London for the city’s second leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour last week. And with it came a much needed footfall boost to offset the anticipated disorder that had seized the UK earlier this month. From Sunday to Saturday (August 11 to 17), MRI Software recorded a 1 percent increase in footfall in all UK...

Retail

European football Championship drives July retail sales

New figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have revealed a slight increase in retail sales volumes in the UK for July 2024. According to the data platform, volumes rose by 0.5 percent, following a 0.9 percent drop in June 2024. Over the year, meanwhile, volumes were up by 1.4 percent to July, due to poor weather in the same month...

Retail

Footfall takes election-induced hit

Footfall continued to drop in July, marking its 12th consecutive month of decline after failing to recover on figures from 2022/23. This time, the British Retail Consortium (BRC), which reported the data, cited the latest election as the overarching cause for the decrease, having created a sense of “uncertainty” for consumers. According to the...

Retail

Election uncertainty and poor weather impact retail sales in July

Retail sales volumes dropped 1.2 percent in June across the UK, according to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which had in contrast reported an increase of 2.9 percent in May. While the organisation said that sales volumes had fallen across most sectors, department stores and clothing retailers had “broadly...

Retail

Unseasonable weather triggers ‘disappointing’ June sales

The UK’s untimely summer has, quite unsurprisingly, had an impact on sales in the region for the month of June, during which time the retail market evidently flatlined. While the sun finally showed its face towards the latter half of the month, it appeared to be a little too late for British consumers, causing retail sales to remain largely at a...

Retail

BRC calls on UK politicians to revitalise footfall as figures drop again

UK footfall continued to decrease over the period of April 28 to May 25, according to new figures by the British Retail Consortium (BRC), leading to the organisation calling on politicians in the region to help revitalise shopping destinations. Total footfall across the UK fell 3.6 percent YoY, up from a 7.2 percent decrease in April. Shopping...

Retail

Retail sales drop in April as wet weather impacts footfall

Retail sales in the UK took a slight hit in April, dropping 2.3 percent over the period as poor weather impacted footfall. According to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), sales volumes fell across most sectors, including clothing, dropping below the previous figure of a 0.2 percent decline in March. Non-food stores saw their...

Retail

UK February footfall hit by rainy weather

Footfall in the UK saw a steep drop over the course of last month, with one of the wettest Februarys on record steering consumers clear of the region’s shopping districts. Over the four weeks from January 28 to February 24, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reported that the total UK footfall decreased by 6.2 percent year-on-year, down from...

Retail

West End spend declined during festive season despite YoY footfall growth

New figures by the New West End Company (NWEC) have reflected an increase in footfall in contrast to a decline in spending, yet the company cited the festive season’s performance as “resilient”. Over the period, footfall was up 3 percent year-on-year, while spending decreased by 1 percent, driven by lower than expected domestic spending caused...

Retail

UK retail sales take a hit in December

New figures by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that retail sales for the month of December 2023 took a 3.2 percent hit, declining from a rise of 1.4 percent in the month prior. The statistics platform noted that the decrease was the “largest monthly fall since January 2021”, at which time pandemic restrictions had impacted...

Retail

Boxing Day footfall up 5 percent in London’s West End

The festive season has rounded off on a positive note for London’s West End district, with Boxing Day footfall up 5 percent on 2022 levels, continuing the “buoyant” atmosphere seen throughout December as a whole. During the month, footfall grew 20 percent compared to November, and rose 6 percent compared to December last year. The New West End...