// Retail footfall increases in February
// Footfall rose by 9.4% in February compared to the previous month
Footfall across retail destinations rose in February thanks to the school half-term and an increase in weekend spending.
According to Springboard, footfall rose by 9.4% in February compared to the previous month, in contrast to a drop of 18.8% in January compared to December.
The increase in footfall was driven by the school half-term, which took place in the third week of February when a rise of 7.6% in footfall was reported.
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Overall footfall rose 11% year on year, while footfall on high streets saw an annual increase of 16.1%, shopping centres rose by 9.7% and retail parks increased by 1.4%.
Recovery in footfall back to pre-pandemic levels was larger at weekends when it rose to 29.8% of the weekly total in February, a mere increase from 28.9% in 2019.
The gap in footfall from 2019 widened in February to -12.5%, from -12.3% in January.
With the exception of 2021, UK footfall in February 2023 showed the largest monthly increase in February since 2010.
Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle said: “With this great return to the Saturday shopping day out, we are seeing increased demand from consumers wanting experience shopping versus necessity shopping, which means retail destinations need to invest in their experience offer in order to keep consumers engaged.
“This is demonstrated by changes in shopping habits among consumers who work in a hybrid way. Nearly a quarter visit destinations less frequently than before Covid; those who spend longer on each trip has increased by a third since November 2022 and a quarter either combine shopping with leisure activities more and/or visit during the evening and at the weekend.
“All of the evidence is therefore pointing towards a significant shift in the usage of retail destinations moving forward. This will ultimately act as a catalyst for business owners and managers to adapt their operations to focus even more on the weekend period if they are to prosper in the post-Covid economic environment.”
