Shopper numbers fall in the week before Christmas
Footfall Index shows traffic below 2001 levels
December 24 2002
Visitor numbers to UK shopping centres and retail outlets fell by 7.2 per cent during the week starting December 18.
FootFall Index figures just released show lower traffic in the last full shopping week before Christmas, compared to the same week in 2001.
Despite a 14.4 per cent surge in shopping activity in the week starting December 16 compared to the week before, shopper numbers are still well below 2001 levels.
Compared to 2001, the weekend before Christmas saw Saturday 21 down 7.4 per cent and Sunday 22 down 7.6 per cent.
David Smyth, marketing manager of FootFall, said: “Retailers have been waiting for a last minute shopping splurge but the FootFall Index figures indicate that their Christmas wish has not come true. Fewer people are going shopping and it is likely, as a result, that sales are down.
“Based on year-on-year comparisons for the week before Christmas since 2000, 2002 has by far been the worst. Monday and Tuesday will now be crucial in reviving the level of footfall that we have seen to date.”
The FootFall Index covers 40 million sq ft of retail space, which includes 100 shopping centres and over 5,000 retail outlets across the UK.
