Springboard reports a slow week for UK retail
Springboard’s weekly footfall results show a drop in footfall across UK retail destinations from the week before of -7.2 per cent and an annual decline of -2.5 per cent. When taken in context and compared with this week in other years, the results are in line with historic trends as footfall in this week has dropped from the previous week In every year since 2012.
The data analysts found that the week was split in terms of performance, with footfall declining from the previous week between Sunday and Thursday by an average of -11.3 per cent, whilst on Friday it dropped by just -1.3 per cent and rose on Saturday by +5.7 per cent. This footfall pattern follows this week in preceding years, and so is likely to have been the impact of Guy Fawkes celebrations diverting consumers away from retail destinations, with delayed shopping trips then taking place over Friday and Saturday.
High streets saw a week on week drop of -9.2 per cent and an annual decline of -4 per cent, presumably as a result of poor weather. Footfall continued to strengthen in retail parks, with a year on year rise of +0.2 per cent and a more modest decline from the previous week than in high streets and shopping centres of -3.8 per cent.
Geographically, the trend was largely consistent with the national picture in all areas with the exceptions of Scotland where footfall rose annually by +1.4 per cent, and Northern Ireland where footfall declined by -16.4 per cent from the week before, and by -9.4 per cent over the year.
