Sharp fall in UK shopper numbers
First week of March sees 4.6 per cent drop
March 12 2003
The number of shoppers across the country fell dramatically in the first week of March.
Figures released by FootFall show numbers down 4.6 per cent compared to the last week in February. The FootFall measure looks at the total numbers passing through shopping centres, not simply those going into shops.
The number of shoppers was also down 6.8 per cent compared to the same week last year, the biggest year-on-year drop in the weekly index that has been since last April.
David Smyth, marketing manager at FootFall said: “This dramatic decrease in shopper numbers in the first week of March backs up the sentiment that shopper confidence is dropping. As the potential start date of a war with Iraq looms closer it appears that consumers are holding off their spending.
“This probably has more to do with the uncertainty that people are feeling at the moment rather than them being discouraged from shopping at locations regarded as ‘high risk’. Either way, the drop in shopper numbers really is out of character for this time of year and is a worrying trend.”
