Footfall increases in April but empty shops reach new high
Warmer weather boosted retail footfall in April to give the strongest performance since December 2011. However, the town centre vacancy rate reached a new high as some areas of the UK such as the South West saw a significant leap in empty shop numbers.
Figures released in the British Retail Consortium and Springboard Footfall and Vacancies Monitor showed footfall was 1% higher than a year ago, an improvement on the 5.2% fall seen in March.
High streets reported the greatest rise of 3.4%, the best performance since December 2011, followed by out-of-town locations where there was an increase of 0.3%. However, footfall in shopping centres declined by 3% in April, the worst performance since January 2013.
Helen Dickinson, BRC director general, said: “At least there’s some cheer on offer in the footfall figures, driven by a respectable showing for high streets, but this compares against a very rainy April 2012, when bad weather left a lot of shoppers running for cover. The unsettled weather at the start of the month seems to have created pent-up demand, which brought many of us out to shop when more spring-like weather finally made an appearance.
Never Miss a Retail Update!“As we saw in our April sales figures, there are some very tentative signs of conditions improving, but the trading environment remains volatile. Retailers will be hoping that warmer weather and a Bank Holiday boost help May to usher in better news.”
The national town centre vacancy rate in the UK was 11.9% in April, up from 10.9% in January 2013, the highest rate seen since the survey began in July 2011.
Dickinson added: “It’s a major concern that the vacancy rate has reached a record high, driven by increases in almost every part of the UK, with some regions like the South West seeing a significant leap in empty shop numbers.
“With high streets topping the agenda for many now, there’s a real opportunity here to seize the moment and stem the tide of further closures. Comparatively small steps to tackle deep-rooted issues such as parking, accessibility and rising business costs could make a huge difference to the health of town centres.”
