The latest data from retail experts Springboard has revealed that footfall across UK retail destinations was -9.6% lower last week than the week before.
Springboard said this was indicative of the impact of the cold weather and the consequential lack of incentive to make visits to destinations when the vast majority of stores are closed in the days leading up to non-essential retail reopening.
Footfall was around -10% lower in all parts of the UK apart from in Scotland where footfall rose by +4.8% in Scotland as personal services, such as hairdressers, came out of lockdown whilst in Northern Ireland footfall declined by -19.9%, more than double the average for the UK.
“In what we all hope will be the final week of lockdown, footfall in UK retail destinations last week dipped from the week previously for only the second time since mid-January,” said Springboard’s insights director Diane Wehrle.
“In part this was a consequence of the much colder weather, and even snow showers, in some parts of the UK, but also likely to be due the fact that shoppers were holding back on making visits in anticipation of stores reopening this week. Despite this, footfall was more than 2.5 times higher last week than in the same week in 2020 when the UK was in the midst of Lockdown one.”
