Footfall across UK retail destinations continued to strengthen in June, reports Springboard, moving to -22.2% below the 2019 level from -27.5% in May, the strongest result since the start of the pandemic.
The largest gains were made in high streets, which continued to benefit from the reopening of indoor hospitality, and which improved by a third in June. Footfall declined Yo2Y by -27.2% in high streets, -29.1% in shopping centres and -4.1% in retail parks.
The gains were largely made in the first week of the month, which included the early spring Bank Holiday when the weather was hot and coincided with the half-term school break. In that week alone, footfall across all destinations improved to -14.5% below the 2019 level, from -26.8% in the week before.
In the South West - which this year has been the go-to destination for staycations - footfall was down just -1.8% Yo2Y in the first week of the month.
Over the remainder of June, footfall worsened incrementally each week. This was undoubtedly a reflection of the lack of impetus for consumers to shop, following the Government’s announcement in the delay of ‘freedom day’ until 19 July, states Springboard, which points out that the opportunity for bricks-and-mortar retail to attract consumers back is significant following the removal of restrictions set for 19th July, and that the greater freedoms this offers - coinciding with the school summer holiday period - is likely to deliver a fresh incentive for consumers to visit those destinations.
