Football fans desert the High Street as World Cup tension builds
Figures released today by FootFall show that yesterday’s England v Ecuador World Cup match hit the retail sector much harder than expected, with the High Street seeing a massive fall in shopper numbers of nearly 20% compared to 2005.
The later 4pm kick-off time coupled with changeable summer weather, meant that retailers hoped shoppers would head to the High Street as normal on Sunday. However, as the tournament had reached the knockout stage, usual weekend activities were abandoned by the nation as the tension built towards England’s victory.
Natasha Burton, spokesperson for FootFall, commented: “As the World Cup action hots up, eager football fans are devoting more and more time to England’s matches, often leaving home early to ‘make a day of it’ in pubs and bars or travelling further afield to watch it with family and friends. The later stages have also begun to attract less avid fans as each match becomes more and more important and the anticipation builds among their friends and work colleagues.
“Mid-week figures have remained largely unaffected by the World Cup, with some weekdays even showing year-on-year increases as consumers make up for missed shopping trips during weekend matches. If fans continue with this pattern, then next Saturday’s quarter final against Portugal should yield the biggest drop in shopper numbers yet. High street retailers should prepare themselves for low footfall levels throughout the whole of Saturday and instead make an effort to maximise their trade on the weekdays leading up to the match”.
Retail FootFall Index (UK) – Sunday 25th June 2006:
Change for Sunday 25th June 2006 v Sunday 18th June 2006: – 2.1%
Change for Sunday 25th June 2006 year-on-year: – 19.2%
