Footfall rises fourfold last week boosted by growth in London and the South East
New data has shown UK retail footfall increased by 4.1% last week from the previous seven day period. This compares to a rise of 0.8% in the prior week and 1.8% in the same week last year.
The figures from retail footfall specialist Springboard reveal that shopping centres saw the biggest uplift at 7.1% followed by high streets at 3.2% and retail parks at 2.7%.
Footfall was also up in Greater London and the South East where there were respective increases of 6.8% and 7.1%. This marked a reversal on the previous week when footfall in both regions declined. In addition, the uplifts were better than the same week last year when footfall only rose by 1.6% in Greater London and by 2.2% in the South East.
Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said increased quarantine measures imposed on returning overseas holiday makers seems to have had a positive effect on UK footfall. She added: “Footfall in UK retail destinations last week not only rose on a week-on-week basis, but the uplift was more than four times as large as the week before, and two and a half times as large as the same week last year. The outcome is a further incremental recovery in footfall compared with 2019, and the sixteenth consecutive week in which the annual decline has lessened which offers a glimmer of hope for retailers.”
Photo by Georgia Hawkins
