Retail footfall improves as 'lockdown fatigue' sets in
By Josh White
Date: Monday 08 Feb 2021
(Sharecast News) - Retail footfall is on the rise in the UK, retail data company Springboard revealed on Monday, with footfall across retail destinations up 6.7% week-on-week last week.
Of that, footfall on high streets was up 9% on the week, while retail parks saw uplifts of 4.5% and shopping centres had 4.3% more customers through the doors.
Springboard said footfall increased every day last week, averaging 4% on weekdays, but surging 22.6% on Sunday and 11.2% on Saturday.
It said the result of last week's increase was a reduction in the total decline in year-on-year footfall, with customers down 63.9% last week when compared to 2020, improving from a 65.2% reduction in the prior week and a peak of 67.5% in the third week of this lockdown.
Weather did have an impact, however, with footfall down 4.9% in Scotland and slipping 0.2% in Northern Ireland week-on-week, where severe conditions had an impact, while it rocketed 17.6% in the West Midlands and advanced 10.5% in the South West.
"Despite rain covering much of the UK last week, footfall in retail destinations rose from the week before; the third consecutive week in which footfall has increased and by far greater an uplift than in the previous seven day period," said Springboard insights director Diane Wehrle.
"Increases occurred across all three destination types, but were particularly noticeable in high streets where they reached double digits in all but three geographies.
"Whilst large city centres have taken the biggest hit, footfall still rose in marginally regional cities and by double digits in Central London."
Wehrle said that, with shopper activity increasing for the past three weeks despite all but essential stores remaining closed, the results are delivering "ever more compelling" evidence of escalating lockdown fatigue.
"The UK's accelerated vaccination drive could well be driving additional consumer confidence, however, we must remember that it is still only the elderly and vulnerable who have had their vaccinations, and they are typically the least likely to be making trips."
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