Footfall across all UK retail destinations last week was -19.9% below the 2019 pre-pandemic level, noticeably better than the previous peak of -25% at the end of August 2020, according to the latest data from Springboard.
Footfall across all UK retail destinations declined by -3.4% last week from the week before, however, with the week starting on Sunday it includes a huge uplift from Sunday 11th April when stores had not yet reopened.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard commented: “The positive news for bricks and mortar retail continues, as the gap in footfall last week from the same week in 2019 continued to narrow, with the week ending at a higher level than at the previous peak at the end of August 2020.
“However, momentum in the recovery of retail slowed slightly last week, with footfall across UK retail destinations dipping slightly from the previous week when non-essential stores reopened. The tremendous opening week for retail was undoubtedly helped by the fact that it was the last week of the school Easter break for many children, which meant some parents took leave from work to visit stores and retail destinations as a family.
“It is therefore not surprising that footfall dipped last week from the week before, as children went back at school and many people continue to work from home making stores less accessible over the working week; evidenced by the fact that the drop in footfall occurred between Monday and Friday, while on Saturday it continued to rise.”
