Great news for retailers in the UK as footfall numbers have seen a substantial increase. According to Springboard, footfall rose by 5.4% during the week ending December 3rd in all retail destinations across the country. This increase was seen across all types of destinations, with high streets experiencing a 6.9% rise, shopping centers witnessing a 4.8% boost, and retail parks recording a 3% growth.
These positive footfall gains align with previous trends before the Covid-19 pandemic. Historically, footfall has increased during this week from 2013 to 2019. However, Springboard also issued a word of caution due to the ongoing cost-of-living crisis. Although footfall numbers have improved, they still fall short of the 7.9% increase recorded during the same week in 2019.
Comparing the footfall figures from the previous week, last week’s increase resulted in an annual rise of +8.8%, compared to the +4.2% increase seen in the week before that. As a result, the gap from the 2019 footfall levels narrowed from -14.1% to -11% in the previous week.
Throughout the week, footfall increased every day except for Friday, which saw a 6.1% decrease compared to the previous week’s Black Friday. However, Saturday experienced a 2.2% rise in footfall across all destinations. In addition, Central London saw a 7% increase, and cities across the UK witnessed a 7.5% rise as shoppers headed to larger destinations for their holiday shopping needs.
Geographically, all regions in the UK benefited from the increase in footfall. The East saw an 18% rise, Wales experienced a 10.1% increase, the South West recorded a 12.3% growth, and Northern Ireland saw a 12.6% uplift.
Insights Director at Springboard, Diane Wehrle, emphasized that all types of destinations benefited from the surge in shopper activity. However, high streets and shopping centers saw the largest week-on-week increases. Large city centers and Central London performed the best among town types, while market towns and outer London areas observed more modest rises.
Useful links:
1. BBC News – UK Retail Footfall Sees Significant Increase
2. Retail Gazette – UK Retail Footfall Rises for the Week Ending December 3rd
