// Overall UK footfall decreased by 27.6% in June compared to the same month in 2019 – but it improved 1 percentage point on May
// High street footfall declined 33.4%, shopping centre footfall declined 35.8% while retail park footfall decreased 8.1%
// In terms of the UK’s four nations, Northern Ireland again saw the shallowest footfall decline at 20.6%
Shopper footfall across the UK flatlined in June as restrictions remained largely unchanged from the month before, new data shows.
According to the latest Footfall Monitor from BRC and Sensormatic, overall UK footfall decreased by 27.6 per cent in June compared to the same month in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, compared to May, there was a marginal 0.1 percentage point improvement month-on-month.
The BRC said this was above the three-month average decline of 31.3 per cent.
READ MORE: UK high streets may never recover from Covid-19, ministers warn
Compared to 2019, footfall on high streets declined by 33.4 per cent in June, shopping centre footfall declined by 35.8 per cent while retail park footfall was the best performer, decreasing by only 8.1 per cent.
In terms of the UK’s four nations, compared to the same month in 2019, Northern Ireland again saw the shallowest footfall decline at 20.6 per cent in June.
This was followed by Wales at 25.6 per cent, England at 27.9 per cent, while Scotland saw the deepest decline of the UK’s nations at 29.5 per cent.
The BRC said households were making more considered shopping trips with less browsing and more buying, and that restrictions affecting shops were broadly similar from May to June.
With the government planning to lift almost all Covid-19 restrictions on July 19, allowing many workers to return to their workplaces in city centres, the BRC urged Westminster to issue clear guidance.
“Retailers are hopeful that footfall will recover further with the move to the final stage of the roadmap, particularly as office workers begin to return to work,” BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said.
“The ongoing vaccination programme is essential to the UK economy’s success in the future, as future lockdowns would imperil the current recovery.
“Government must provide clear and consistent guidance on July 12 to ensure both the public and businesses know what is expected of them.”
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