Footfall set to bounce back in the run-up to Christmas
New figures have suggested that footfall is set to bounce back in the run- up to Christmas with an 8% uplift across the UK.
According to figures released by retail intelligence firm Springboard, retail parks are set to benefit from the rising popularity of click and collect with an estimated 45% of all shoppers expected to collect purchases made online in store this Christmas.
The firm is also predicting that the trend for shoppers to seek out retail parks in place of high streets and shopping centres is set to continue as shoppers look to benefit from free parking and the accessibility of out of town locations.
However, it predicts that high streets will score above shopping centres due to their more diverse offer including retail, leisure and hospitality, as shoppers increasingly place emphasis on ‘experience’ when choosing where to do their Christmas shopping.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Springboard said: “Whilst the weather outlook is similar to 2011, when footfall increased by 5.1%, this year’s economic conditions are proving more favourable with low inflation, and consumer confidence at a high. With shoppers invariably conscious that 2014 has been a tough year for retailers, many will be holding out for heavy discounting close to Christmas and so are likely to make the most of bargains to be had in the sales by shopping in store and using click and collect services.”
Earlier this week, figures released by the British Retail Consortium and Springboard showed that retail footfall in October was 0.8% down on the same month last year, but up on the 0.9% fall in September. Shopping centres experienced the biggest decline with footfall dropping by 1.9% while high streets reported a 1.4% fall. Footfall in out-of-town locations fared the best with a 1.9% increase year-on-year.
