// Footfall across retail has declined after government’s 10pm curfew
// UK footfall fell each day between Wednesday and Saturday, averaging 7.1%
Footfall across UK retail has dropped by 3.5 per cent over the last week, as the government’s 10pm curfew continues to impact high streets.
Footfall across retail destinations declined by 8.4 per cent between 7pm and 11pm and 14.8 per cent between 11pm and 7am over the past week, according to Springboard.
UK footfall fell each day between Wednesday and Saturday, averaging 7.1 per cent, which was exasperated by the rainy weather.
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Footfall across all retail destinations is now 31.4 per cent lower than in 2019.
Footfall declined across all types of high street, but the greatest declines were in coastal towns where footfall inevitably dropped by 11.6 per cent and in regional cities with a 8.2 per cent decline from the week before.
In high streets, the decline from last week exacerbated the gap between last year and this year, with the annual decline moving to 39.4 per cent.
Footfall in shopping centres, despite staying flat from the week before, also slipped on an annual basis and is now 33.7 per cent lower than last year.
“For the second consecutive week, and only the third week since the beginning of May, footfall across retail destinations declined last week from the week before,” Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle said.
“Part of the cause of the decline, particularly in high streets, was the rainy weather during the second half of the week that led to a double digit drop in footfall on both Friday and Saturday.
“However, the 10pm curfew is clearly having an impact; whilst shopping centres and retail parks with only minimal evening economy activity are holding their own, high streets – where the majority of evening economy activity occurs – are feeling the effect, with a drop in footfall post 7pm that is twice as great as that during working hours, and four times as great post 11pm.
“Inevitably the gap in activity from last year widened further, particularly in high streets, where footfall is now more than a third lower than it was in 2019.”
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