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The decline in UK retail footfall worsened last month, numbers on Friday showed, with poor weather meaning fewer visits to the high street.
According to the latest British Retail Consortium-Sensormatic IQ tracker, UK retail footfall declined 5.7% on-year in October. It was a worse outcome than September’s 2.9% decline.
High Street footfall alone decreased by 4.6% in October, after a 1.1% fall in September. In retail parks, footfall decreased by 4.3% in October, worsening from September’s 2.4% decline. Footfall in shopping centres slumped 7.3%, deepening from September’s 4.0% fall.
‘Umbrellas were up as heavy rainfall descended across the UK in October, leading many shoppers to stay at home. As inflationary pressures on households begin to ease, some people are shopping around slightly less, braving the rain only to make their final purchases. This led to a larger year on year drop in footfall in all shopping locations than we saw in September,’ BRC Chief Executive Helen Dickinson commented.
‘While consumer confidence may be higher than 2022 it is still very weak, dropping over the last month. The economic landscape remains tough, with input prices and cost pressures above normal levels. Retailers are investing heavily in their Christmas offering trying to provide the best value and service for their customers.’
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