Footfall sees partial recovery in latest week

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 31, 2022

UK retail footfall rose by 8.2% last week from the week before across UK destinations as it bounced back after several weeks in which it had looked fragile due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Springboard said that footfall rose by 10.7% in shopping centres, 8.7% in high streets and 4.2% in retail parks. And in coastal and historic towns it was 18.2% and 10.8% higher than the week before, as well as being 12.5% higher in major cities.

But it was up only 5.8% in market towns and a narrow 2.8% in Outer London, although it was 12.4% higher in Central London.

The week started with footfall 8.3% lower on Sunday than on the previous Sunday, but rose by 7.1% and 8.3% on Monday and Tuesday, 13.8% on Wednesday, 20.9% on Thursday and 16.7% on Friday.

Yet despite a better performance, the gap from 2019 of 13.2% last week was wider than in the week before last when it was just 11.1%.

Springboard said consumers were clearly heading to retail destinations for experiential days out, given the rises footfall in coastal and historic towns and in major cities compared to the more modest uplift in local high streets.

Insights Director Diane Wehrle said that “the school half term delivered a welcome boost to UK retail destinations, with the largest increase in footfall from the week before since the Easter week in April 2022.”