December disappoints for retailers as footfall slumps
By Benjamin Chiou
Date: Friday 09 Jan 2026
(Sharecast News) - Footfall across all shopping locations dropped in December, marking a disappointing end to the year for retailers, who are having to contend with weak consumer sentiment amid the rising cost of living.
Total UK retail footfall fell at a year-on-year rate of 2.9% in December, worsening from November's 0.8% decline, according to the British Retail Consortium-Sensormatic footfall monitor on Friday.
High street footfall slipped 0.9% over the year before, easing from the 1.2% fall in November, but retail park traffic dropped 2.5% after a previous 0.4% fall, and shopping centre footfall tanked 5.1% after decreasing 1.3% previously.
Footfall also declined year-on-year across all nations in December: down 1.5% in Scotland, 1.7% in Northern Ireland, and 3.1% in both England and Wales.
For the third quarter as a whole, retail footfall was 2.2% lower than the previous year, while 2025 footfall fell 0.8% from 2024.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson called it a "disappointing December for retailers".
"In the face of rising bills and food costs, many consumers held off for post-Christmas sales, with the week after Christmas the only one to see a significant uplift," Dickinson said.
"Shoppers were also browsing less in the lead up to Christmas, making fewer, but more targeted shopping trips, particularly in shopping centres, which saw the largest drop in footfall."
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