The latest UK heatwave played a big role in reducing retail footfall, as shoppers flocked to the seaside. Coastal towns saw a +3.6 per cent boost in visits. Scotland also bucked the trend with a +3.8 per cent lift, fuelled by the Oasis reunion tour in Edinburgh, while Central London dropped -3.6 per cent.
Week 33 – SUN-SAT
Retail footfall continued to see a modest decline for the third consecutive week last week compared to the week prior driven by a sharp drop in shopping centre and retail park activity.
Much of last week’s slump was driven by a steep decline on Tuesday and Wednesday in all UK retail destinations but particularly noticeable in shopping centre locations. Retail parks saw footfall decline daily with sharp drops recorded on Sunday and Tuesday and more modest declines interspersed throughout the week. High streets fared better with rises in visitor activity recorded on three out of the seven days. With the UK amid another heatwave last week, this may well have deterred shoppers from visiting retail destinations and opting for day trips to coastal towns.
This is reflective in the week-on-week boost seen to coastal town footfall whereas other town types didn’t fare as well such as Central London however this could also indicate the movement in events taking place in other parts of the country. Regional cities outside of London fared much better with only a minor drop in footfall activity recorded last week. Scotland recorded a strong rise in retail footfall last week from the week before coinciding with the Oasis reunion tour moving from London to Edinburgh, however, other regions recorded declines with the South-West witnessing the steepest drop.
Footfall declined overall by -1.8 per cent last week compared to the week before. This was driven by a -2.7 per cent drop in shopping centre visits and a -2.4 per cent decline in retail park activity. High streets, however, saw a much lesser decline at -1.1 per cent.
A mixed week emerged for high streets with footfall rising by an average of +2.6 per cent on Sunday, Monday and Thursday; however these gains were not enough to offset the declines that occurred for the remainder of the week. A sharp drop in visitor numbers across all UK retail destinations resulted in overall trends remaining lower week on week as retail footfall declined by an average of -4.4 per cent on Tuesday and Wednesday. This was much more severe in shopping centres averaging -5.2 per cent.
As the UK entered its fourth heatwave of the year, coastal towns witnessed a +3.6 per cent boost in visits compared to the week before, whereas all other town types recorded modest declines. Central London saw a -3.6 per cent decline in footfall which could indicate a shift in major events to other parts of the UK as reflected by visits to Scottish retail stores and destinations rising by +3.8 per cent.
Compared to 2024, footfall remained marginally lower in retail parks (-1.1 per cent) and shopping centres (-1.3 per cent), whereas high streets saw no change. With temperatures cooling and much of the peak getaway season coming to an end, retail stores and destinations could see an uplift this week, especially as people stock up on essentials ahead of the bank holiday weekend and get organised for the return to school.
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