Changing shopping habits continue to drive down footfall
Retail footfall in the UK fell 2.4% year-on-year in November despite the surge in discounts and price promotions offered on Black Friday.
According to figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Springboard, footfall on high streets dropped by 4% while shopping centres experienced a 2.1% fall.
Retail parks reported the only rise in footfall at 0.8%.
The BRC said the figures suggest that consumers are buying more non-food items per shopping trip after having researched their potential purchases online or chosen to click and collect.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: “Despite these figures, we know that retail sales for the same period remain strong – and this is not due solely to the increasing popularity of online shopping.
“Whereas once multiple shopping trips for a few items and leisurely browsing were the norm, now increasingly savvy shoppers are streamlining their visits to stores when making non-food purchases.
“The most successful shopping destinations are ensuring that they have a range of other experiences and activities on offer to drive up footfall.”
All regions within England, with the exception of the West Midlands and East, reported a decline in footfall. Footfall in Northern Ireland edged down 0.7% while Wales saw a decline of 3.9%. Meanwhile, footfall in Scotland rose by 0.9%.
Diane Wehrle, retail insights director at Springboard, said: “It is particularly disappointing for high streets and shopping centres that the significant price promotions offered over the Black Friday weekend were not sufficient to turn the tide over the month.
“Indeed, it suggests that if retailers are to encourage shoppers back into bricks and mortar stores then there needs to be a greater focus on the enhancement of the customer experience, rather than a knee jerk reaction towards discounting which only undermines margins and long term profitability.’’
