// Footfall dropped 32% on Friday 18 February with the arrival of Storm Eunice, and then by 12.6% on Saturday, according to data by Springboard
// The largest drops in footfall occurred in Wales, the South West , the South East and the North
New figures have revealed that last week’s storms had a big impact on retail footfall which declined by 3.8% from the week before.
The data from retail specialist Springboard shows that there were drops in all three destination types, with high street footfall down 7.2% and shopping centre and retail park visits down 0.5% and 0.1% respectively.
Over the five days from Sunday, footfall rose by an average of 5.5% with a huge uplift of 18.1% on Monday as the school half-term break commenced.
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In contrast, footfall on Friday declined from the previous week by 32% and then by 12.6% on Saturday.
Looking at the regional picture, Greater London, Scotland and Northern Ireland recorded increases in footfall, but these were all less than 1%. Meanwhile, the largest drops were seen in Wales, the South West and the South East where the number of visits declined by 9.7%, 7.8% and 5.7% respectively.
Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle said: “Unsurprisingly, footfall across UK retail destinations last week was majorly affected by the severe storms, which negated the positive impact of the start of the February school half-term break.
“Inevitably high streets felt the greatest effects of the weather, with a slightly stronger result in shopping centres – the vast majority of which offer shelter from the elements – and in retail parks which are easy to access by car.”
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