Scottish shopper numbers were stronger than the UK with figures showing a 1.2 per cent increase compared to a year ago.
The footfall numbers were down from the three per cent rise in May 2013 but still shoppers were still tempted to spend with seasonal promotions and discounts.
Fiona Moriarty, Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “With the improving weather in June, we saw an increase in footfall. This represents three straight months of growth in shopper numbers and Scotland‘s performance was slightly above the UK average.
“This encouraging trend backs up the figures that showed tentative growth in Scottish retail sales earlier in the year. Scottish retailers are continuing to have to work hard to tempt shoppers.”
Total retail footfall was up in Scotland, but the UK remains a patchy footfall area. Northern Ireland was the hardest hit with a 5.9 per cent drop whilst Greater London (2.4 per cent) and the West Midlands (1.3 per cent) were the only two regions in England to report a rise.
Diane Wehrle, Retail Insights Director at Springboard, said that the more favourable performance of high streets can be put down to the fact that they underwent a greater decline in footfall than managed shopping locations in previous years, and so start from a lower base. She added: “The benefit of high streets being ‘open for business‘ 24 hours a day is also key as it is footfall which falls outside usual retail trading hours – rather than between 9am and 5pm – which is improving, and clearly shielding high streets against the ill winds of a long term decline in customer numbers.”
