Retail footfall grows as shoppers take advantage of discounts and promotions
Shopper numbers rose sharply in the week commencing 12 December as consumers took advantage of promotions and discounts according to data released by the British Retail Consortium.
The BRC-Springboard Retail Footfall Monitor found that year-on-year growth was up 2.3% in the week, helped by soft comparatives on the previous year when snow prevented many consumers from getting to the shops.
Footfall on both the high street and in shopping centres grew by 2.6% year-on-year while shopping centres saw growth of 0.3%.
On a week-on-week basis, shopping centres saw the biggest growth in footfall with an increase of 5.7%. High street shopper numbers were up 2.3% on the previous week, while out-of-town locations performed more modestly, rising by 0.5%.
Stephen Robertson, British Retail Consortium Director General, said: “”Retailers have been working hard to encourage people into their stores, running exceptionally high levels of promotions and discounts. They’ll be relieved to see that effort paying off but, for some, the season still hangs in the balance. Many sales are being made at the expense of margins and good trading in the next three days, particularly on Christmas Eve, will be crucial.”
