The latest data from retail experts Springboard has revealed that footfall in UK retail destinations rose by +4.1 per cent last week from the week before, an acceleration from the rise in the previous week of +0.8 per cent and +1.8 per cent in the same week last year.
This was driven by rises in footfall of +6.8 per cent in Greater London and +7.1 per cent in the South East, which were a reversal of the previous week when footfall declined in these two regions and a far stronger performance than the same week last year when footfall only rose by +1.6 per cent in Greater London and +2.2 per cent in the South East.
All three destination types benefited from a rise in footfall, with shopping centres being the clear winner with a week on week increase of +7.1 per cent compared to +3.2 per cent in high streets and +2.7 per cent in retail parks.
The benefit of large food stores, free parking and large stores retail parks still lead the way in recovery, where footfall in retail parks is now only 10.6 per cent lower than last year compared with shopping centres where footfall is 32.4 per cent lower and high streets where it is 39.1 per cent lower.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard commented: “It seems that the increased quarantine measures imposed last week on a number of overseas destinations are having a positive impact on UK footfall. Footfall in UK retail destinations last week not only rose on a week on week basis, but the uplift was more than four times as large as the week before, and two and a half times as large as the same week last year. The outcome is a further incremental recovery in footfall compared with 2019, and the sixteenth consecutive week in which the annual decline has lessened which offers a glimmer of hope for retailers.”
