// Footfall will reach almost 3/4 of its 2019 level in Q3, says Ipsos
// Ipsos also found that retail rallied over April, May and into June
The latest forecast from retail experts at Ipsos indicates that footfall in non-food shops will continue to strengthen over the summer in the UK.
According to Ipsos’s Retail Traffic Index (RTI), footfall will reach almost three-quarters of its 2019 level in the third quarter of this year.
The index suggested that footfall recovery will be in line with that it projected over the second quarter, where footfall grew to about two-thirds of 2019 levels since the re-opening of non-essential retail in April.
READ MORE:
Retail analysts at Ipsos also report that the rapid rollout of vaccinations, the steps that retailers have put in place to safeguard their customers and colleagues, the release of pent-up demand, and consumers dipping into the household savings from last year have all contributed to retail rallying over April, May and into June.
“We fully expect footfall levels to continue to recuperate in quarter three,” Ipsos head of retail analytics and insight Dr Tim Denison said.
“The planned lifting of remaining restrictions in July will increase retail’s competition with hospitality, entertainment and leisure for a share of disposable income, but despite this, our latest forecast indicates that footfall will come back to almost three-quarters of its 2019 level in the quarter (74.5 per cent).”
Denison added: “We have been monitoring footfall very closely since April’s re-opening, through our Retail Recovery Index, comparing it to the levels after the first and second lockdowns last year.
“There is an eagerness to know how much of the swing of consumer spending to online shopping will stick and how much will return to physical stores.
“In reality, it is not binary. We know that shoppers use both channels in their decision-making and which channel is accredited with an actual sale is a bit academic.
“Far more useful in assessing the health of the sector is to monitor the level of activity both on- and off-line.
“Consumer confidence continues to re-build, now standing at its highest level since the first lockdown, employment levels remain buoyant and Britain is re-discovering its fondness for one of its most popular social pastimes.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette’s free daily email newsletter
