All eyes on China as coronavirus lockdown crushes UK retailers

UK footfall decreased by 44.7% in March, due to the coronavirus lockdown, a record decline for the retail sector, according to research by the BRC and ShopperTrak.

Footfall dropped in early March, as many people chose to stay at home and reduce the risk of catching coronavirus. This was accelerated by the government’s decision to put the UK on lockdown, with footfall decreasing by over 80% on the previous year in the weeks following these measures.

High streets and shopping centres saw the biggest declines as most shops closed their doors, but retail parks also saw reduced falls due to the presence of many essential retailers remaining open for business.

“Retail is facing an unprecedented challenge, particularly those geared towards high street sales. Government schemes, including loans, furlough payments, and business rates respite, have been welcomed by the industry as an essential lifeline,” says Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at British Retail Consortium.

“However, many jobs and businesses depend on this backing and government must remain flexible in their support over the coming weeks, with footfall expected to fall even further.”

Andy Sumpter, Retail Consultant of ShopperTrak, comments: “Never before have retailers needed to act so fast, making huge changes in order to keep the public safe. Existing technologies and solutions – such as real-time occupancy – are also being explored by many retailers, to help automate processes and improve social distancing measures.”

“All eyes are on our team in China who are monitoring the safe return of retail as they come out of lockdown, as they report that in Shanghai after four weeks of opening up again, stores are 80% trading with visitor numbers back to 70% of normal."