Latest figures from retail experts, Springboard, reveals that footfall in UK retail destinations rose by +11.6% last week from the week before, but by +17.4% in high streets versus +8.7% in shopping centres and just +2.3% in retail parks.
In coastal and historic town centres, the uplift in activity was significantly greater; +37.1% in coastal towns and +24.8% in historic towns. Visitors flocked to resorts causing with a rise in footfall that was greater than in any other part of the UK of +18.8% overall, and +30.8% in high streets.
Whilst the greatest rises in activity were in coastal and historic towns, large city centres also benefitted with an increase in footfall in Central London of +23.8% and +19.3% in city centres elsewhere in the UK.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard commented: “A combination of the late May bank holiday, incredible weather and the school half term holiday had a hugely beneficial effect on customer activity in UK retail destinations last week; it not only led to the greatest weekly increase in footfall since the reopening of non-essential retail in April, but also the most modest annual decline since the start of the pandemic. Inevitably visitors wanted to be outside to enjoy the weather, so by far the greatest benefit was seen by high streets, where the rise in footfall from the week before was double that in shopping centres, and eight times that in retail parks.
