// Weekly footfall rises across UK retail, indicating that consumers feel safe going back into stores
// Footfall rose by 0.5% in the week to May 15
// Footfall rose across all types of high street, but the most modest rises of 0.5% and 1.6% were in coastal and historic towns
Footfall in UK retail destinations rose by 0.5 per cent in the week to May 15 versus the previous week, wholly driven by a footfall rise of 3.9 per cent on UK high streets.
Footfall versus the same week in 2019 was down 28.1 per cent.
Footfall in retail parks declined by 3.4 per cent and by 2.8 per cent in shopping centres.
READ MORE: £2.5bn spending boost forecast as indoor hospitality reopens
Footfall rose across all types of high street, but the most modest rises of 0.5 per cent and 1.6 per cent were in coastal and historic towns.
Meanwhile, Central London footfall rose by 4.2 per cent, suggesting that shoppers are starting to feel sufficiently confident to make trips to the capital.
Despite this, London has significant ground to make up as footfall in Central London remains 61.8 per cent below the 2019 level.
“Shoppers braved the ongoing rain and ventured back into retail destinations last week with footfall rising from the week before,” Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle said.
“However, it was high streets rather than shopping centres or retail parks that drove the uplift, and the result was a largely a result of a bounce back from a drop in shopper activity that occurred over the bank holiday weekend the week before.
“Shoppers continued to demonstrate a greater desire to visit their local high streets than large city centres across the UK, although it seems that Central London is becoming more appealing with a rise in footfall last week that was the second highest of any type of high street, only lower than in market towns.
“With indoor hospitality opening today the return of shoppers to high streets couldn’t come at a better time, suggesting we will see a further uplift in footfall as the opportunity to eat and drink inside protected from the elements will give shoppers an incentive to visit high streets more frequently and dwell longer.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
