UK footfall in Central London remains low compared to other parts of the country, indicating the ongoing impact of the pandemic on the city’s retail sector. According to data from tracking company Springboard, footfall in regional cities is down 27.9% compared to 2019, while market towns and coastal towns experience smaller declines of 25.5% and 28.2%, respectively. However, Central London is still struggling, with a significant drop of 53.2%.
Although the numbers in London are not yet back to pre-pandemic levels, there are signs of improvement in the month of June. Last week, footfall in Central London increased by 9% compared to the previous week, while regional cities outside of the capital only saw a slight decline of -0.9%. On the other hand, market towns and coastal towns experienced larger drops of -2.5% and -6.8%, respectively.
Retail parks saw a minor decrease of 2% in footfall on a week-on-week basis, while high streets and shopping centres had a marginal increase of 0.2% and 0.6%. These numbers suggest that retail destinations are still not fully recovering from the impact of the pandemic. One of the main reasons for the low footfall in city centres is the absence of office workers, who have not returned in large numbers. The situation in Central London is exacerbated by the absence of tourists, who play a vital role in supporting many retailers. The return of these two groups of people remains uncertain, and it may take a considerable amount of time before footfall significantly improves in the retail areas.
The slow recovery of footfall in Central London highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the retail sector. While other parts of the country are making progress in regaining lost ground, London’s reliance on office workers and tourists is hindering its ability to bounce back. Retailers in the capital will need to tackle these obstacles and adjust their strategies to attract customers in the absence of these key groups. The duration of time it will take for footfall in Central London to fully recover is uncertain, leaving the outlook for this year unclear.
Useful links:
– Springboard (tracking company providing footfall data)
– Visit London (official tourism website for London)
