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Shoppers stay home in all areas as government’s covid tier system snuffs out recovery

Footfall declined by 3.1% for the week from October 11 to 18 as officials imposed tiered restrictions on freedoms across the UK.

Footfall declined by 3.1% for the week from October 11 to 18 as officials imposed tiered restrictions on freedoms across the UK.

Traffic to all types of retail — high streets, retail parks and shopping centres — is 32.2% down on the same week last year.

Central London is by far the worst affected part of the country, with footfall down year-on-year by 59.7%, according to Springboard. Regional cities, which includes the likes of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow, is second worst with a fall of 47.9%.

Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, says: “The additional Covid tiered restrictions had an immediate impact on footfall in retail destinations last week with an across the board week on week decline; the fourth consecutive drop and also greater than that in previous weeks. The drop in footfall was equally severe across all three destination types, although on an annual basis retail parks continue to remain by far the most resilient. Notwithstanding this, the year on year decline in footfall in all three destination types accelerated once again, with the largest gap between this year and last year for nine weeks.”

UK Footfall – Week beginning Sunday 11th October – Week 42 2020
  Year on year % change in footfall Week on week % change in footfall
UK high streets -40.0% -2.8%
UK retail parks -13.2% -3.0%
UK shopping centres -34.6% -3.5%
All UK destinations -32.3% -3.1%
 
All retail destinations by region – Week beginning Sunday 11th October – Week 42 2020
  Year on year % change in footfall Week on week % change in footfall
East -27.9% -3.1%
East Midlands -32.3% -3.9%
Greater London -33.2% -2.4%
North & Yorkshire -31.9% -5.0%
Scotland -37.8% -3.4%
South East -24.8% -2.0%
South West -22.6% -0.9%
Wales -38.1% 0.2%
West Midlands -29.0% -2.1%
Northern Ireland -30.6% -3.2%
 
Week beginning Sunday 11th October – Week 42 2020
  Year on year % change in footfall Week on week % change in footfall
Coastal Towns -23.4% -1.2%
Historic Towns -34.1% -3.1%
Central London -59.7% -2.3%
Outer London -27.7% -3.2%
Market Towns -26.3% -2.1%
Regional Cities

Excluding London

 

-47.9%

 

-5.7%

High Streets – week beginning Sunday 11th October – Week 42 2020 – 6pm to midnight
   

Week on week % change in footfall

English regions – average -3.2%
Northern Ireland -9.8%
Scotland -20.4%
Wales 11.3%
UK -4.5%

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