Retail footfall ‘slumps’ in June

Footfall declined by 2.9% in June, attributed to the “distinctive and ongoing disruptive political and financial interval”, in accordance with retail intelligence agency Springboard.

On a three-month foundation, footfall decreased by 2.Four%, and the six and 12–month averages have been discovered to be -1.three% and -1.7% respectively. Excessive road footfall additionally declined by Four.5%, following from the rise of Zero.1% in June final 12 months.

Moreover, retail park footfall elevated by Zero.1%, in contrast with June 2018 when footfall decreased by Zero.Four%, and buying centre footfall declined by 2.Four%, following the decline of three.Four% seen final 12 months.

Diane Wehrle, Springboard advertising and insights director, mentioned: “Given the distinctive and ongoing disruptive political and financial interval we face coupled with unprecedented structural adjustments within the retail sector, we’d really count on shopper exercise to have taken a good larger hit.

“Nevertheless, while footfall in excessive streets throughout the UK dropped by -Four.5% in June, the persevering with and rising demand from customers for expertise meant that in regional cities – which by advantage of the sheer breadth and depth of their provide means they’ll ship on expertise – footfall was way more resilient, declining solely very marginally by -Zero.6%.”

She added: “So it’s clear that shopper demand is polarised between comfort and accessibility supplied so successfully by retail parks, and customers’ longing for expertise, driving them in direction of bigger retail locations.”

Helen Dickinson, CEO of the British Retail Consortium, mentioned: “Poor footfall this June led to a major fall within the gross sales figures for the month. Excessive streets have been worst hit by the comparatively poor June climate, with buying centres additionally performing badly, nonetheless, retail parks managed to buck the pattern.

“Final 12 months’s World Cup and wonderful sunshine set a excessive bar, which 2019’s sluggish shopper spending and Brexit uncertainty did not dwell as much as.”