High street footfall dips by 3% in a week after shoppers rushed to stores when lockdown rules were eased
- Footfall across all UK shopping destinations in week starting April 18 fell by 3.4% against previous week
- All retail locations saw a slight decrease in footfall following the initial rush after curbs eased on April 12
- High streets were the most robust location, with footfall dipping by just 0.8% against the previous week
- Meanwhile, UK shopping centres saw footfall slide by 8.4% while retail parks saw a 3.5% decline last week
The number of shoppers dipped in the second full week of eased lockdown restrictions in England – with total footfall still nearly a fifth down on the same week in 2019, it was revealed today.
The latest weekly footfall monitor from retail research specialists Springboard has revealed that footfall across all UK shopping destinations in the week starting April 18 fell by 3.4 per cent against the previous week.
Experts revealed that all retail locations saw a slight decrease in footfall following the initial rush after curbs eased on April 12, allowing non-essential retailers and outdoor hospitality to reopen.
High streets were the most robust location, with footfall dipping by just 0.8 per cent against the previous week. Meanwhile, UK shopping centres saw footfall slide by 8.4 per cent while retail parks saw a 3.5 per cent decline.
Pedestrians walk along the high street in Glasgow this afternoon after non-essential shops were reopened in Scotland
This graph based on data from retail research specialists Springboard shows how footfall fell across all UK shopping destinations in the week starting April 18 fell by 3.4 per cent against the previous week
The picture varies across Britain, with the East Midlands region seeing the biggest year-on-year rise compared to 2020
Total footfall was also about a fifth, 19.9 per cent, lower than for the same week in 2019, as footfall continues to remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
However, retail parks saw higher footfall during the week than for the same period in 2019 as the large and open shopping areas, which often have major supermarkets, continued to attract shoppers.
Britain roars out of lockdown: Shoppers are set to splurge their savings in summer spending spree
Shoppers in Britain are set to spend their savings in a summer spree after consumer confidence in Britain saw its highest jump in at least a decade following the post-lockdown roadmap being revealed, economists said today.
Deloitte’s consumer tracker reported a record quarterly rise in confidence in the first three months of the year, up six percentage points to -11 per cent, with every sub-measure up both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter.
The figure represents the net percentage of consumers who said their confidence had improved in the past three months, and it was compiled from responses given by more than 3,000 Britons between March 19 and 22.
Now, net discretionary spending is expected to become positive for the first time, which means that the number of consumers who think they will spend more is higher than those who expect to spend less.
The activity of ‘going to a shop’ was put at the top of a list of leisure activities Britons are most likely to do post-lockdown, with nearly two thirds of people saying they expect to return within a month of being allowed.
Springboard said that there were still signs of a recovery in footfall despite the slowdown against last week’s figures.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said: ‘The positive news for bricks and mortar retail continues, as the gap in footfall last week from the same week in 2019 continued to narrow, with the week ending at a higher level than at the previous peak at the end of August 2020.
‘However, momentum in the recovery of retail slowed slightly last week, with footfall across UK retail destinations dipping slightly from the previous week when non-essential stores reopened.
‘The tremendous opening week for retail was undoubtedly helped by the fact that it was the last week of the school Easter break for many children, which meant some parents took leave from work to visit stores and retail destinations as a family.
‘It is therefore not surprising that footfall dipped last week from the week before, as children went back at school and many people continue to work from home making stores less accessible over the working week.’
It comes as cafes, beer gardens, non-essential shops and museums reopened in Scotland today as lockdown easing continues – two weeks after outdoor hospitality and retail welcomed back consumers in England.
Meanwhile footfall figures in London’s West End have been tracking well ahead of the previous reopening in June 2020. The second Saturday, April 24, saw footfall around 57 per cent of the usual number of April visitors.
Jace Tyrrell, chief executive of New West End Company, which represents 600 businesses on Oxford Street, Bond Street, Regent Street and in Mayfair, said: ‘With the continuation of the warm weather heading into the weekend, we were delighted to see Londoners making the most of the sunshine and heading back to the West End to refresh their spring wardrobes and enjoy time with friends and family in outdoor spaces.
‘We’re encouraged by the sustained levels of footfall that we’ve seen in the district, already tracking well ahead of the first reopening in June 2020. However, it is imperative that businesses continue to be supported in the right ways to help them recover.
‘We desperately need an extension of Sunday trading hours in Britain’s two international centres – London’s West End and Knightsbridge.
Early-morning queues formed outside shops on Princes Street in Edinburgh today of shoppers keen to snap up a bargain
Deloitte’s consumer tracker saw the highest jump in confidence at least a decade, after the announcement of a roadmap for lifting Covid restrictions. The tracker reported a record quarterly rise in confidence, up six percentage points to -11 per cent
Every sub-measure of consumer confidence was up both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, according to Deloitte’s study
‘These returning shoppers are looking for flexibility – we’re seeing high levels of footfall in the district in the evenings, highlighting the public’s desire to shop, dine and enjoy the West End at their convenience.’
Also today, economist said UK shoppers are set to spend their savings in a summer spree after consumer confidence saw its highest jump in at least a decade following the post-lockdown roadmap being revealed.
Deloitte’s consumer tracker reported a record quarterly rise in confidence in the first three months of the year, up six percentage points to -11 per cent, with every sub-measure up both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter.
The figure represents the net percentage of consumers who said their confidence had improved in the past three months, and it was compiled from responses given by more than 3,000 Britons between March 19 and 22.
Now, net discretionary spending is expected to become positive for the first time, which means that the number of consumers who think they will spend more is higher than those who expect to spend less.
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