Retail footfall down 3.2% in November
New figures have revealed that UK retail footfall dropped by 3.2% in November.
According to figures from the British Retail Consortium and Springboard, this is the twelfth consecutive month of decline.
Footfall was down 3.8% in both high streets and shopping centres while the number of visits to retail parks dropped by 1.4%.
Springboard said the 3.2% overall decline was the biggest drop of any November since it began publishing its footfall data in 2009.
Diane Wehrle, Springboard marketing and insights director, said: “The 3.2% drop in footfall in November is indisputable evidence that Black Friday delivers no tangible benefit to bricks and mortar stores.
“Whilst online shopping was inevitably more prevalent than in other months, the vast majority of spending still remained in store and this is what Black Friday impacts adversely.”
The figures also show that in the week of Black Friday itself, footfall declined by 5.5%, more than in any week of the month.
Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive, said the Black Friday discounting period also began earlier this year for many retailers which had a negative impact on footfall across a longer period over the month.
She added: “It has been a difficult year for many retailers and the outlook remains challenging as Brexit uncertainty grows. Retailers will be following the upcoming parliamentary vote closely and hoping Parliament can secure a transition period to allow businesses time to adapt to life outside the EU. Without this transition, consumers face higher prices and less choice on their shopping trips.”
Springboard is forecasting that footfall will decline by 4.2% in December to mark an increase on the 3.5% drop seen in the same month last year.
