Springboard: UK Footfall Drops By Nearly Half Versus 2021

Springboard has published footfall data for week 46 (13/11 - 19/11) noting that footfall rose marginally in a pre-Black Friday lull, while UK footfall drops by nearly half versus 2021 in midst of cost of living crisis.

Springboard Retail Park Street Index - Week 46 2022

2022 vs 2021 = +1.3%

2022 vs 2019 = -2.5%

Week-on-week = +0.5%

Springboard's Marketing and Insights Director, Diane Wehrle, said:

As Black Friday promotions started to become evident footfall across UK retail destinations rose marginally last week from the week before.  However, rather than organic growth in activity all of the uplift was a consequence of a bounce back in footfall on Sunday and Monday from noticeable drops on those two days in the previous week.  Over the rest of the week through to Saturday footfall either declined or rose only very slightly from the week before.  

The pattern of footfall last week was driven wholly by high streets and shopping centres, where a large proportion of demand emanates from discretionary spend, whilst in retail parks - many of which have a food store and other essential retailers - footfall was virtually flat on the week before each day. 

This suggests that despite a range of Black Friday promotions already being active, consumers have not yet increased their shopping activity, and may well be holding back in the hope of securing more favourable discounts as the week progresses. 

The see-sawing nature of footfall from week to week makes an annual comparison helpful, and last week the uplift in footfall 2021 fell back to nearly half of that in the week before last, demonstrating the vulnerability of consumer activity.  Between Tuesday and Thursday last week when footfall declined from the week before, the increase from last year was eradicated.

Source : Springboard

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