Shopping mall

Footfall drops for a second consecutive week as 10pm curfew and terrible weather keep shoppers away

High streets suffered the biggest fall of -7.1%, while shopping centre footfall remained flat on the week before and in retail parks it rose marginally by +0.8%.

Footfall across UK retail destinations declined by -3.5% last week from the seven days before for the week ended Saturday, October 3.

High streets suffered the biggest fall of -7.1%, while shopping centre footfall remained flat on the week before and in retail parks it rose marginally by +0.8%.

“For the second consecutive week, and only the third week since the beginning of May, footfall across retail destinations declined last week from the week before. Part of the cause of the decline, particularly in high streets, was the rainy weather during the second half of the week that led to a double digit drop in footfall on both Friday and Saturday. However, the 10pm curfew is clearly having an impact; whilst shopping centres and retail parks with only minimal evening economy activity are holding their own, high streets — where the majority of evening economy activity occurs — are feeling the effect, with a drop in footfall post 7pm that is twice as great as that during working hours, and four times as great post 11pm,” says Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, which compiles the footfall data.

All of the decline occurred in the second half of the week, no doubt in part a consequence of the torrential rain that hit from Wednesday onwards; footfall rose from the week before by an average of +1.1% between Sunday and Tuesday but fell each day between Wednesday and Saturday, averaging -7.1%.

Footfall across all retail destinations is now 31.4% lower than last year, although retail parks continue to be the location of choice for shoppers, where footfall is just 11.8% lower than last year.

In high streets the decline from last week exacerbated the gap between last year and this year, with the annual decline moving to -39.4%.

Footfall in shopping centres, despite staying flat from the week before, also slipped on an annual basis and is now 33.7% lower than last year. 

WB 27th September 2020 (Sunday to Saturday)
   

Year on year % change in footfall

 

Week on week % change in footfall

UK High Streets -39.4% -7.1%
UK Retail Parks -11.8% 0.8%
UK Shopping Centres -33.7% -0.04%
All UK Destinations -31.4% -3.5%
 
WB 27th September 2020 (Sunday to Saturday)
   

Year on year % change in footfall

 

Week on week % change in footfall

Coastal Towns -26.0% -11.6%
Historic Towns -32.5% -5.7%
Regional Cities -50.0% -8.2%
Central London -60.3% -8.4%
Regional Cities excl London -43.0% -8.8%
Outer London -26.3% -6.5%
Market Towns -25.7% -4.1%
 
Week on week % change in footfall – WB 27th September
  All UK Destinations  

UK High Streets

7am to 7pm -2.9% -5.8%
7pm to 11pm -8.4% -12.7%
11pm to 7am -14.8% -24.4%
 
WB 27th September 2020 (Sunday to Saturday)
   

Year on year % change in footfall

 

Week on week % change in footfall

East -26.9% -1.5%
East Midlands -31.0% -2.9%
Greater London -34.1% -3.3%
North & Yorkshire -29.0% -2.8%
Scotland -35.6% -4.3%
South East -25.9% -0.1%
South West -26.5% -7.2%
Wales -40.9% -12.2%
West Midlands -28.4% -3.6%

 

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