The latest data from Springboard reveals that footfall rose by +6.2% in UK retail destinations from the week before, despite a decline of -53.7% in Wales. There were increases on all but one day, ranging from +2.7% on Saturday to +18.1% on Wednesday.
Footfall rose by +3.5% in retail parks, by +5.2% in high streets, and by +11% in shopping centres, where there were double-digit rises from the week before on four days, reaching +23.4% on Wednesday.
Despite London having entered Tier 2, footfall in Central London rose by +11.4% from the week before, while dropping by -1.3% in Outer London. In regional cities outside of London the increase in footfall from the previous week was far more modest, averaging just +2.6%.
Despite many towns and cities in the north being under Tier 3 restrictions, footfall rose in retail destinations in the North & Yorkshire region by +9.3% from the previous week. In fact, in towns that were subject to Tier 3 restrictions, footfall rose by +6% across all destination types, and by +9.7% in shopping centres. Footfall rose in every area of the UK apart from in Wales, with the most modest increase in Scotland, at just +1.6%.
On an annual basis, footfall stood at -32.5%, a marginal improvement from the week before when it was -32.9%. Footfall in shopping centres strengthened by more than high streets, moving to -33.7% from -35.7% in the week before.
Diane Wehrle, Springboard’s insight director, states: “The school half-term break last week delivered a boost to footfall in UK retail destinations, with a noticeable increase from the week before despite a significant decrease in footfall in Wales as a consequence of the firebreak. In contrast, in Central London footfall rose, even though Tier 2 restrictions were introduced in the week before.
"Footfall rose across all three destination types – however, shopping centres were the main beneficiary. This may well be due to consumers making the most of the opportunity of the half-term break to shop early for Christmas in an effort to avoid queues.
"The varying level of annual decline continues to reflect the fact that consumers are staying local. Once again last week there were much smaller drops in footfall from last year in coastal, historic and market towns and in outer London centres than in regional cities and Central London.
"Needless to say, with Saturday's announcement of the impending lockdown commencing on Thursday, footfall is likely to increase over the forthcoming three days as consumers try to make essential purchases and buy for Christmas before all non-essential retail stores close for a month on Thursday. Whilst next week's footfall will be buffered by four days of trading, over the next month the results will look very different, with an annual decline that could reach -80%."
