Footfall across the UK has risen 1.8% year on year in July, up from a drop of 1.9% in June, the latest data by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic IQ shows.
High streets saw the highest increase between July 2-29, with a year on year increase of 1.6% compared with 0.6% in June, closely followed by retail parks which saw a 1.4% boost in footfall in July compared with a 2.6% dip in June.
Shopping centres saw a slight 0.2% increase year on year, although this is compared with a decline of 4.2% in June.
Subscribe to Retail Gazette for free
Sign up here to get the latest news straight into your inbox each morning
Scotland benefited from the highest year on year increase in footfall of all the UK nations at 5.9%. Footfall in England rose by 1.8% followed by Northern Ireland where footfall climbed by 1.4%.
Wales, on the other hand, was the only nation to see a decline in year on year in footfall, at 0.1%.
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said: “July saw modest growth in footfall numbers in all locations across most major cities in the UK, with Scotland and the north-east leading the way.
“The rainy start to the summer holidays drove many people off the streets and into the shops, in contrast to last year’s heatwave, which kept people outside in the sun.
“The recovery in international tourism continues to drive shopper numbers up in major cities. The government should capitalise on this by reintroducing a tax-free shopping scheme, as exists in all other European Union countries. This would encourage more visitors and stimulate more spending, boosting economic growth and employment.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
