Retail footfall flat in August

Retail footfall rose by 0.1% year-on-year in August, according to the latest research from the British Retail Consortium and Springboard.

The increase follows a decline of 0.4% in July and was the second rise in four months.

High street footfall increased by 1.1% and retail parks by 0.4%, but shopping centres noted a 1.9% decline; the seventh consecutive month of falling numbers.

Diane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard, said: “Driving the overall rise on the high street is an increase in footfall post 5pm, which highlights the growing evening economy based on leisure activities – hospitality, food and beverage trips – and is a result of a markedly improved and expanded offering by shopping destinations. Only in retail parks did footfall during daytime trading hours improve.”

Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said: “Although this month’s increase in footfall is only marginal, it is an improvement on last month’s 0.4% decline. It’s also only the third time this year that overall footfall has increased. So, while these figures will give retailers some cheer, they’ll only be cautiously optimistic for the months ahead.”

Source : Springboard & BRC data

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