Footfall edges up 0.1% in June
Footfall in June was 0.1% higher than a year ago, up from a 0.7% decline in May, as the increase in temperatures and discounts offered by retailers tempted shoppers into stores.
Figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Springboard show that high street footfall rose by 1.4% while out-of town locations saw an increase of 0.6%. However, shopping centre footfall dropped by 3% from a 1.7% decline in May.
In the first six months of 2013, footfall fell on average 1.5% compared with a 2.9% decline during the same period in 2012.
BRC director general Helen Dickinson said: “The UK High Street was busier in June, and BRC figures show that footfall has increased as we have seen shoppers take advantage of the good promotions available at the moment in stores. The relatively strong UK wide figures are reflected in modest increases in footfall in out-of-town retail, although shopping centres did not perform quite so well.
Never Miss a Retail Update!“The improvement in the weather may well have contributed to this. Our recent retail sales figures showed a strong performance from fashion and footwear and it is likely that shoppers took advantage of the start of the sunshine in June to visit their local high street and buy items for their summer wardrobes.”
The BRC figures show that the increase in footfall was not universal across the country. London and the West Midlands saw the best performances in England while in Wales and Scotland the high streets also had a good month.
