Over the weekend, weekend shopping in the UK fell below expectations due to concerns surrounding the Omicron variant of Covid-19. According to data from Springboard and Sensormatic, footfall in stores only saw a slight increase of 0.8% on Saturday and actually decreased by 1.4% on Sunday. This is a significant departure from the usual trend of a surge in footfall during the final weekend before Christmas.
In Central London, footfall experienced an 8.5% decline over the weekend. However, there is some anecdotal evidence suggesting that areas such as Oxford Street and Regent Street were still quite busy on Saturday afternoon.
Outside of London, weekend footfall dropped by 6.4% in cities, indicating that regional shoppers preferred to stay local. On the other hand, footfall in market towns rose by 3.4%. Overall, high street footfall in the UK decreased by 2.6% compared to the previous week, with a particularly notable decline of 5.9% on Sunday. Shopping centers experienced a minimal decline of 0.5% in footfall, while retail parks saw a 4.8% increase. The increase in footfall at retail parks is likely due to their open-air nature, larger stores, and ample parking, which make shoppers feel safer in terms of Covid-19 concerns.
Comparing the current footfall to the same time period two years ago, there was a significant decrease of 25.2% across all retail destinations in the UK on Sunday. Shopping centers were hit the hardest with a 32.9% decline, while high streets were 26.2% lower and retail parks were 14.9% behind. However, footfall on Sunday was 33.2% higher compared to one year ago, when the UK was facing its third lockdown.
Data from Sensormatic Solutions further supports the decrease in footfall, showing a 26% decline compared to pre-pandemic levels on Saturday. Footfall on Saturday was down 0.3% compared to the previous Saturday and only slightly increased by 1% compared to December 4th.
According to Diane Wehrle from Springboard, consumers were cautious about going out and opted to either stay home or shop online. This decline in footfall primarily affected high streets and shopping centers. Andy Sumpter from Sensormatic also notes that this decline in footfall during the crucial Christmas trading period is a blow to retailers who have put in significant effort to create safe shopping environments.
Consumer analyst Kate Hardcastle adds that retailers are facing another blow this Christmas as consumers are not buying emotionally as they have in previous years. Many people are already isolating at home and prefer to shop online instead.
Overall, the fear of contracting the Omicron variant has greatly impacted footfall during the final shopping weekend before Christmas. Retailers now face the challenge of adapting to the changing shopping habits of consumers and finding ways to make up for lost sales during the festive season.
Please note: There are no additional relevant links to add to this article.
