Latest data from retail experts Springboard reveals that footfall in UK retail destinations rose by +87.8% last week following the reopening of non-essential stores on Monday across England.
The high street saw an uplift of +93.2% and in shopping centres even higher at +126.6% occurred. In retail parks, despite the ongoing higher level of activity due to the presence of essential stores, footfall still rose also by +35.3% as others stores started to trade.
The substantial uplift in shopper activity last week means that footfall across all UK retail destinations is now just -25.4% lower than the 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
“The first week of reopening delivered an outstanding performance for UK retail destinations and stores, with an increase in footfall from the week before that was virtually double our forecast,” said Springboard insights director, Diane Wehrle.
“These results provide concrete evidence of the desire of shoppers to return to bricks and mortar stores and destinations. The key issue for retail destinations will be whether this momentum can be sustained.
“From our evidence of the last two lockdowns, we are expecting footfall to continue to increase over the next few weeks, albeit at a lesser rate. However, the reopening of indoor hospitality on 17th May will provide a further boost to retail destinations as many indoor venues are located in high streets and shopping centres.”
