In December, the UK experienced a disappointing footfall in retail, highlighting the impact of the Omicron variant and other factors on physical shopping. Concerns over the new COVID-19 variant, combined with an increasing number of people working from home and fears of missing out on Christmas celebrations, led to a decline in footfall during the five-week festive shopping period.
According to a report by Springboard, footfall in December was 18.6% below 2019 levels, compared to a 14.5% decline in November. High streets and shopping centres were hit particularly hard, with footfall dropping by 22.2% and 24.1% respectively compared to 2019. However, retail parks saw a positive trend, with footfall increasing by 5.1% compared to the previous year. This was primarily due to shoppers visiting food stores for their Christmas groceries and perceiving these locations as safe and easily accessible.
There was a glimmer of hope in the fourth week of December, as the footfall gap from 2019 narrowed to 13.8% across all retail destinations in the UK. This improvement was attributed to consumers making the most of the six available trading days leading up to Christmas. However, it’s important to note that this comparison is partially distorted by the date offset of Christmas in 2019, with only three full trading days compared to five in 2021.
Moving forward, the retail sector will face challenges due to continued working from home guidance, which suppresses footfall, and staff shortages resulting from isolation and returns of Christmas purchases. Diane Wehrle, Marketing & Insights Director at Springboard, identifies these as the biggest challenges for the industry in the coming weeks.
To overcome these challenges, retailers will need to adapt and find innovative ways to attract customers. This may involve focusing on online sales and promotions, improving delivery services, and creating engaging in-store experiences that draw in customers despite the ongoing uncertainties. By staying agile and responsive to changing circumstances, retailers can navigate the evolving landscape and position themselves for success.
Useful links:
1. BBC: UK retail footfall falls again in December
2. Retail Gazette: UK footfall expected to decline amid spread of UK variant
