UK footfall takes a break after busy Easter
By
Nigel TAYLOR
It was inevitable UK retail footfall took a week-on-week breather following the busy Easter break. Retail visits declined 9.8% in all UK retail destinations across the 20-26 April reporting period, led by a significant drop in shopping centre activity (-14.1%) followed by retail parks (-11.2%), reports MRI Software.
On a week-on-week basis, high streets witnessed a lesser decline (-7%), however they were still down on the week before last when activity declined 2.8%.
Year-on-year, retail footfall also declined by 2.6% in all UK retail destinations over the period with the most severe drop witnessed in shopping centres (-3.4%) followed by high streets (-2.5%) and a lesser decline in retail parks (-2.1%), highlighting the impact of the shift in Easter holiday timings, it said.
Back to week-on-week, the dip was largely driven by a substantial drop on Easter Sunday (20 April) as the majority of retail stores and destinations remained closed. This trend continued into Easter Monday (21 April) with only retail parks witnessing an uplift on this day, but then they continued to fall away as the week progressed.
High streets saw declines in footfall from Monday to Thursday averaging -12.1%. This improved on Friday and Saturday with activity rising by an average of 4.7%, likely to be in response to the drop on Good Friday and Saturday (18-19 April).
Retail parks witnessed a strong start to the week with footfall rising on Monday by 5.6%, however this worsened from Wednesday onwards in response to the surge in activity witnessed in the week leading up to Easter.
Shopping centres saw a similar trend to high streets with footfall falling by an average of 11.5% from Monday to Friday but rising on Saturday by an average of 2%.
All town types experienced a sharp drop in footfall with historic (-8.4%), coastal (-9.4%) and market towns (-8.4%) seeing the largest declines. This suggested the Easter school holidays came to come to an end in many regions or people chose to take holidays outside the UK. This is further reinforced by a 7.8% week-on-week drop in footfall in office-dense locations within Central London.
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Weekend footfall also fell for the second consecutive month, by 1.8% overall compared to 2024 levels. However, weekday footfall in May rose slightly (+0.3%) compared to last year 'which continues to support the changes in consumer behaviour; as the return to office remains strong, it may suggest that people are also visiting retail stores and destinations on the days they go into the office'. This is further reinforced by MRI Software's 'Central London Back to Office' benchmark that recorded a 2.4% uplift in weekday activity. The slight rise last month in shopping centres and retail parks was 'further evidence that consumers are likely more drawn towards the convenience factor of all-in-one destinations that offer more than just retail'. Larger shopping centres (over 500,000 sq ft) benefitted greatly from the half-term boost, recording an 8.4% increase in footfall from the week prior, 'and again indicates the attraction of retail destinations that offer leisure, hospitality and retail under one roof'. Info from MRI Software's 'Insights from the Inside' also saw 61.2% of retailers reporting lower sales during the early May bank holiday compared to last year, with 65.8% expecting softer trading through the half-term break. Also, rising operational costs are beginning to bite, 'and the knock-on effect is being felt at the till as higher prices are passed on to consumers, adding to the ongoing cost-of-living pressures' it said. And the forecast for June? With a packed calendar of music and sporting events, including Beyoncé's visit to London and the return of Wimbledon tennis, 'UK cities are expected to see substantial footfall surges if historical trends are anything to go by'. It added: 'Retail leaders are encouraged to analyse last summer's trends and ensure they are operationally ready to maximise this opportunity. As consumer habits continue to shift towards retail destinations that offer more than just shopping – a blend of retail with food, entertainment and experience may well remain front of mind for families. 'The challenge now is to sustain that momentum from the May half-term holiday into June and beyond.'
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After a busy Easter/good-weather-fuelled April lifting spring, retail footfall was much more sedate in May. Last month, retail footfall fell marginally, by 0.4%, compared to a year ago in all UK retail destinations, according to MRI Software's latest data. The dip was driven by a 1.1% fall in high street activity, but at least shopping centres and retail parks bucked the trend with marginal rises of 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Month on month, footfall also dipped (-0.1%) in all UK retail destinations. And it may have been worse had it not been for the schools' half-term holiday at the end of the month 'driving an influx of visitors to retail stores and destinations', noted the report. Weekend footfall also fell for the second consecutive month, by 1.8% overall compared to 2024 levels. However, weekday footfall in May rose slightly (+0.3%) compared to last year 'which continues to support the changes in consumer behaviour; as the return to office remains strong, it may suggest that people are also visiting retail stores and destinations on the days they go into the office'. This is further reinforced by MRI Software's 'Central London Back to Office ' benchmark that recorded a 2.4% uplift in weekday activity. The slight rise last month in shopping centres and retail parks was 'further evidence that consumers are likely more drawn towards the convenience factor of all-in-one destinations that offer more than just retail'. Larger shopping centres (over 500,000 sq ft) benefitted greatly from the half-term boost, recording an 8.4% increase in footfall from the week prior, 'and again indicates the attraction of retail destinations that offer leisure, hospitality and retail under one roof'. Info from MRI Software's 'Insights from the Inside' also saw 61.2% of retailers reporting lower sales during the early May bank holiday compared to last year, with 65.8% expecting softer trading through the half-term break. Also, rising operational costs are beginning to bite, 'and the knock-on effect is being felt at the till as higher prices are passed on to consumers, adding to the ongoing cost-of-living pressures' it said. And the forecast for June? With a packed calendar of music and sporting events, including Beyoncé's visit to London and the return of Wimbledon tennis, 'UK cities are expected to see substantial footfall surges if historical trends are anything to go by'. It added: 'Retail leaders are encouraged to analyse last summer's trends and ensure they are operationally ready to maximise this opportunity. As consumer habits continue to shift towards retail destinations that offer more than just shopping – a blend of retail with food, entertainment and experience may well remain front of mind for families. 'The challenge now is to sustain that momentum from the May half-term holiday into June and beyond.'
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