According to data from retail experts Springboard, consumers in the UK are showing increasing eagerness to shop as footfall figures continue to rise. In the week of 7-13 March, footfall across UK retail destinations increased by 7% compared to the previous week. This growth was observed in high streets, shopping centres, and retail parks.
Interestingly, shopping centres experienced larger increases in footfall compared to high streets or retail parks, with rises nearly three times larger than the average over the previous six weeks. The data also revealed that footfall rose on five out of the seven days last week, peaking at a 14.1% increase on Tuesday.
This surge in footfall may be attributed to parents of school-age children having more time to make trips following the return to school on Monday. Central London saw an impressive increase of 14.3% in footfall, while Outer London experienced a 13.9% rise. However, footfall in the capital remains significantly lower than 2020 levels, with a decline of 78.2%.
In regional cities outside of London, the uplift in footfall was more modest at just 2.3%. The report also highlighted that consumers are still favoring local shopping, as footfall in market towns rose by 6.2%. Despite this increase, footfall in market towns is still down by 53.1% compared to the previous year, while in regional cities the decline is 67.9%.
The continuous rise in footfall from week to week has resulted in a narrower year-on-year decline since the start of Lockdown 3. High streets and shopping centres have seen a drop of nearly a fifth in footfall, while retail parks have experienced a decrease of around 50%.
Diane Wehrle, Insights Director at Springboard, commented on the changing consumer behavior amidst the pandemic. She noted the significant shift in consumer activity compared to the same week in 2020, emphasizing the steady increase in footfall despite non-essential stores remaining closed until 12 April. Wehrle believes this demonstrates the pent-up demand among consumers to return to physical stores.
Overall, the footfall figures indicate a growing readiness among consumers to shop as the UK prepares for the reopening of non-essential retail next month. Retailers can look forward to a potential surge in sales as consumer confidence and enthusiasm continue to rise.
Useful links:
1. Springboard
2. UK Government guidance on non-essential retail reopening
