UK retailers notch up unwanted bricks and mortar record

UK footfall decreased by 84.7% in April, due to the mandatory coronavirus lockdown, a record decline for the retail sector, according to research from the BRC and ShopperTrak.

Footfall on high streets dropped by 81.8% year-on-year. They did, at least, fare better in comparison to shopping centres (-87.8%) as local convenience stores saw a rise in popularity.

Retail parks saw footfall slump by 62.4% year-on-year. Thanks to wider open spaces in comparison to other locations and a higher proportion of supermarkets, retail parks were sheltered from a steeper decline.

Helen Dickinson, Chief-Executive at British Retail Consortium, says: “With lower footfall likely to continue, along with a corresponding fall in sales, and with demand likely to remain low, many retailers will not return to normal trading for some time, even when they are allowed to reopen.”

She predicts an acceleration of many trends seen prior to the coronavirus pandemic – lower footfall as many consumers choose to browse digitally, and a corresponding rise in online sales.

“These changes are requiring retailers to adapt quickly so that the industry can meet the needs of modern consumers and deal with the challenges the pandemic is presenting. Ultimately, the very nature of many retail jobs will change, with impressive customer service and the effective use of technology becomes even more vital.”

Ian Muir, General Manager UK, MEA & India of ShopperTrak, comments: “Evidence of new cautious consumerism can be seen in Germany’s footfall figures, with the reopening of its retail stores starting in mid-April. German footfall at the beginning of the month (week 15) was down at -98.3% year-on-year, but by the end of April (week 18) it had improved by 10.7 percentage points to -87.6%.”

“While shopper traffic was still down, these green shoots of slow retail recovery may indicate what lies ahead for the UK,” he concludes.