Footfall decline slows in January
New data from the British Retail Consortium and Sensormatic has shown that footfall recovered slightly in January after a “disappointing” Christmas performance.
Total footfall decreased by 0.6% in the month compared to a decline of 2.9% in December.
Subscribe to TRBWhile high street footfall decreased by 1.9%, down from a 0.9% fall in the previous month, the number of visits to retail parks increased by 1.1% compared to dro of 2.5% in December.
Meanwhile, shopping centre footfall edged down 0.8% in January, up from a 5.1% decline in December.
The British Retail Consortium noted that the best performing cities were in the north where shopper traffic was hit by severe storms last year.
Scotland delivered the strongest year-on-year growth in footfall, up 5.1%, while Northern Ireland recorded an increase of 3.8%. However, footfall fell by 1.4% in England and by 2.8% in Wales.
Helen Dickinson , chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “Although footfall edged down in January compared to a year earlier, it was much better than the disappointing Christmas period.
“An uptick in consumer confidence and possible signs of a footfall recovery offer some cautious optimism for some spring like green shoots. Government can enable retailers to build on this momentum by incentivising, rather than inhibiting, investment in stores and colleagues across the country.
“Upcoming legislation, including the Employment Rights Act, must support the long-term growth agenda, helping create the virtuous circle of jobs, investment in local communities, and footfall growth.”
