MRI Software: Footfall Declined Last Week

MRI Software has published retail footfall data for last week, revealing that footfall has declined by -2.7% across all UK retail destinations, attributed to travel disruptions, snow and a natural post-Christmas drop in shopper activity.

Week 1 2025 – SUN-SAT

The first week of 2025 bought with it travel disruptions and even snow to many parts of the UK, combined with a natural post-Christmas drop in shopper activity, footfall naturally declined compared to the week prior in shopping centres and high streets, however retail parks saw a modest uplift. 

However annual levels remained significantly higher across all UK retail destinations, but this is likely to be skewed by an anomaly on Monday (30^th December) which was in comparison to New Years Day 2024. 

Daily footfall dropped throughout the week, except on Wednesday and Thursday, which is in comparison to the week before (Christmas Day and Boxing Day) hence abnormal week on week rises being recorded. By the weekend, footfall began to normalise, with declines recorded more in line with post-Christmas trends. The downturn in activity at the start of the weekend was anticipated due to weather conditions worsening across parts of the UK. 

As a result of key holidays shifting in the calendar, footfall remained lower across all regions and town types compared to the week before aside from Central London where there was a marginal uplift likely due to people making the most of the festivities in the last few days of the Christmas break. This could be a combination of theatre trips, sales shopping or enjoying the last of the Christmas markets. 

Footfall declined by -2.7% across all UK retail destinations last week from the week before led by a drop in shopping centre (-6.1%) and high street (-2.8%). Retail parks, however, recorded a modest uplift of +1%. 

Activity levels dropped daily and were typically higher than a normal week on week comparison due to this being against the days leading up to Christmas Day. The decline in retail footfall starts to normalise towards the end of the week on Friday with a -9.1% drop in activity in all UK retail destinations, this could be due to many people returning to work, whether it be from the office or at home, or the start of people being cautious with their finances following the festive period. With snow arriving over the weekend, footfall was likely impacted heading into Sunday as the average decline for the entire weekend was -25% week on week; year on year this averaged -14.4%. 

Although the week was influenced by anomalies tied to the festive calendar, trends did start to stabilise as the week came to an end. Footfall remained +8.7% higher in all UK retail destinations with activity levels +9.2% higher in high streets and shopping centres, and +6.9% higher in retail parks. 

Week 2 2025 – MON-SUN

The first week of 2025 bought with it travel disruptions and even snow to many parts of the UK, combined with a natural post-Christmas drop in shopper activity, footfall naturally declined compared to the week prior in shopping centres and high streets, however retail parks saw a modest uplift. 

However annual levels remained significantly higher across all UK retail destinations, but this is likely to be skewed by an anomaly on Monday (30^th December) which was in comparison to New Years Day 2024.

Daily footfall dropped throughout the week, except on Wednesday and Thursday, which is in comparison to the week before (Christmas Day and Boxing Day) hence abnormal week on week rises being recorded. By the weekend, footfall began to normalise, with declines recorded more in line with post-Christmas trends. The downturn in activity at the start of the weekend was anticipated due to weather conditions worsening across parts of the UK.

As a result of key holidays shifting in the calendar, footfall remained lower across all regions and town types compared to the week before aside from Central London where there was a marginal uplift likely due to people making the most of the festivities in the last few days of the Christmas break. This could be a combination of theatre trips, sales shopping or enjoying the last of the Christmas markets.

Source : MRI Software

Image : Jason Batterham / Shutterstock / 671551474

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