UK footfall drops 2.9% in Sept 2023, high streets hit

Retail parks saw a footfall decrease of 2.4 per cent, shifting from a static 0.0 per cent in August. Shopping centres experienced the most significant decline with a 4.0 per cent drop in September, compared to a 3.8 per cent decrease in July. Among the UK nations, Scotland bucked the trend with a YoY footfall increase of 1.0 per cent. In contrast, Wales saw a decrease of 1.4 per cent, followed by England at 2.9 per cent and Northern Ireland at 3.6 per cent, according to data from British Retail Consortium (BRC)-Sensormatic IQ.

“During the warmer-than-expected weather, footfall slowed in September, with fewer shoppers across all shopping locations. High streets and retail parks held up slightly better as the return to school helped increase the number of shopping visits at the start of the month. Retailers will want to invest in their properties in the run up to Christmas, but the prospect of a £400 million increase to business rates next year will limit their capacity for improvements. The chancellor should announce a freeze to rates at the Autumn Budget in November,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC.

“Rather than the traditional ‘Back To School’ boost to shopper traffic we would normally expect to see in September, footfall remained subdued as consumer caution on discretionary spending stayed high, perhaps prompted by shoppers withholding spend to save ahead of the Golden Quarter and Christmas. While retailers will be hoping this month’s first fall in food prices in two years will mark the beginning of the end of inflationary-driven pressure on household budgets, many will recognise that the reality of inflationary-driven interest rates—and consequently higher mortgages and rent payments—will be with us ‘higher and for longer’, meaning once again retailers will be required to run faster just to stand still,” said Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)