According to retail experts Springboard, footfall across UK retail destinations fell by -7% last week from the week before, with a drop of -10.2% in shopping centres, -6.9% in retail parks, and -5.5% on high streets.
Despite the drop in footfall from the week before, the gap from the 2019 footfall level narrowed to -12.8% from -15.4% in the week before last.
Footfall last week was also +12.7% higher than in the same week last year, which was only the second trading week following the end of the third lockdown when restrictions regarding mask-wearing and social distancing were still in place.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, commented: “The overall result for last week was significantly impacted by drops in footfall on both Easter Sunday – when stores were closed – and on Easter Monday, when only retail parks recorded an increase in footfall, most probably driven by shoppers restocking on food and groceries following the Easter weekend.”
She added: “Underperformed high streets and retail parks from Monday to Thursday, although they then outperformed them both on Friday (although still negative) and then rebounded into positive territory on Saturday which contrasted with a drop in high street footfall.”
