Footfall dips 0.7% in May
Figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Springboard have shown that retail footfall in May was 0.7% down on the same month last year.
Footfall in out-of-town locations rose 1.2% in May year-on-year to give its best performance since November 2012. However, footfall in the high street dropped by 1% while shopping centres saw a fall of 1.7%.
The hardest hit parts of the UK were Northern Ireland, where footfall declined by 3.1%, and the West Midlands and East Midlands where levels fell by 2.9% and 2.6% respectively.
Helen Dickinson, BRC director general, said: “On the surface these figures are fairly flat, but they’re masking widespread regional variations and only two areas in England – Greater London and the East – are showing positive footfall growth compared with May 2012. As the recent unemployment figures highlighted, the outlook in terms of job prospects and economic growth is by no means ‘one size fits all’ across the UK.
Never Miss a Retail Update!“While footfall saw a slight drop compared with May 2012, the month’s respectable sales growth suggests that conversion rates were good: people made fewer trips but responded well to good deals, especially on value ranges and seasonal promotions. Where there was a little growth, retail parks led the way and this could explain why furniture – most commonly sited out of town – was the month’s best performing category according to our Retail Sales Monitor.
“Now that we’re into June, retailers will be hoping that summer sales and sunshine will make for a stronger showing next time.”
Diane Wehrle, retail insights director at Springboard, added: “Two key trends are emerging in high streets that are affecting their performance. Firstly, footfall in regional cities is increasing whilst it is dropping in smaller towns, indicating that shoppers are increasingly gravitating towards larger destinations. Secondly, footfall outside of retail trading hours is increasing whilst declining over the daytime period. At least in part this is likely to account for the adverse performance of shopping centres, the majority of which have a very modest leisure offer.
“Town centres benefit from greater diversity than the majority of shopping centres, and the evening economy is clearly protecting and insulating the high street. This reflects the feedback we are receiving from town centre managers who state that by far the strongest demand for units is from food and beverage occupiers who operate outside of retail trading hours.”
