A decline in footfall across UK retail locations was noted in August 2023 compared to the same month last year. The total footfall across the UK decreased by 1.6 per cent, a notable shift from the 1.8 per cent increase observed in July.

High street footfall also dipped by 0.9 per cent, down from a rise of 1.6 per cent in July. Meanwhile, retail parks remained unchanged at 0.0 per cent, a decline from July's 1.4 per cent increase, according to recent data from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Sensormatic IQ.

Shopping centres saw the most significant decrease, with a 3.8 per cent drop in footfall. Regionally, Scotland showed a 0.4 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase, while England, Wales, and Northern Ireland registered declines of 1.3 per cent, 1.7 per cent, and 4.7 per cent, respectively.

“Footfall took a turn for the worse in August as the summer sun failed to materialise. The impact was made worse when compared to last year’s heatwave, where many shoppers rushed to the shops to buy clothing, BBQs, and other outdoor essentials. This month it was shopping centres that took the biggest hit, while high streets were also significantly down on last year,” said Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC.

“While our data showed the number of store counts of shoppers to retail units within shopping centres and retail parks dipped last month, the number of visitors to those retail settings remained positive. So, even if consumers are being more purposeful, visiting fewer stores during each shopping trip, the opportunity to benefit from that ambient footfall remains—the key will be how retailers can tap into that opportunity to turn passing trade into store visits and sales through meaningful store experiences and a retail offer that speaks to value,” said Andy Sumpter, retail consultant EMEA for Sensormatic Solutions.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)

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