According to retail data company Springboard, coastal towns in the UK are seeing an increase in retail footfall due to the arrival of sunny spring weather. Leading up to March 20, footfall in retail destinations experienced a 2.3% boost compared to the previous week. High streets saw the most significant rise with a 4.2% increase, while shopping centres and retail parks had more modest growth of 0.5% and 0.1% respectively.
As the weather warmed up, footfall saw a significant surge from Thursday onwards. Across all retail destinations, footfall rose by 8.1% compared to the previous week, with high streets experiencing an impressive 12.4% increase. On Friday alone, footfall spiked to 16.1% across all destinations and 25.8% on high streets. Coastal towns saw the most notable increase, with footfall rising by a remarkable 40.8%.
Despite the recent uplift, footfall still falls behind pre-pandemic levels. The gap between current levels and footfall during the same period in 2019 slightly widened to -15.2% from -13.1% the previous week. However, compared to the same week in 2021 when the UK was in a full lockdown, footfall has risen by 112.4%.
It’s not just coastal towns benefiting from the good weather; market towns also experienced a 3.1% increase in footfall compared to the previous week. Additionally, city centres, which have been heavily impacted by the pandemic due to the lack of tourists and remote working, saw a rise in footfall. Central London witnessed a 4.9% increase, while other city centres saw a 4.7% rise. However, footfall in Central London is still 26% below 2019 levels.
The recent surge in footfall is promising for the retail sector as it indicates consumers’ eagerness to return to physical shopping. Coastal towns, in particular, are reaping the benefits of the sunny weather as people flock to enjoy the seaside. Market towns and city centres are also slowly recovering, although there is still progress to be made in reaching pre-pandemic levels. As the weather continues to improve and pandemic restrictions ease, the retail industry can look forward to further growth and recovery.
Useful links:
– Retail Gazette
– Springboard Retail
