Despite unfavorable weather conditions, UK high street footfall experienced a slight recovery last week, increasing by 0.5%. This data, provided by Springboard, highlights that the modest growth can be credited to improved performance on high streets, particularly in Central London.
Between May 9 and May 16, footfall on UK high streets rose by 3.9% compared to the previous week. However, footfall in retail parks decreased by 3.4%, and there was a 2.8% decline in traffic at shopping centers.
Springboard noted that the increase in high street footfall was somewhat mixed. Mondays and Saturdays saw significant uplifts, with footfall rising by 19.1% and 19% respectively. These numbers indicate a rebound from the decrease in footfall observed over the bank holiday weekend. Conversely, retail parks and shopping centers did not benefit from the Bank Holiday weekend as much as high streets.
Even during the four weekdays between Tuesday and Friday, when footfall was lower compared to the previous week, high streets still fared the best. Footfall on high streets only saw a marginal drop of 0.2%, while retail parks experienced a decline of 1.4% and shopping centers saw a 3.3% decrease.
Additionally, footfall increased across all types of high streets, with coastal and historic towns experiencing the most modest rises of 0.5% and 1.6%. These areas are particularly attractive to leisure visitors. Regional cities outside of London also saw a positive trend, with a 1.7% rise in footfall. Market towns stood out with a significant increase of 5.7%, suggesting that shoppers are opting to support local businesses.
The most encouraging sign was the 4.2% rise in footfall in Central London, indicating that shoppers are gradually gaining confidence to visit the capital. However, London still has a long way to go as footfall in Central London remains 61.8% below the 2019 level. The absence of international tourists continues to impact the capital’s recovery.
Useful links:
1. BBC: UK high street footfall increases by 0.5% despite bad weather
2. Springboard: Official website
